Mystery of the Drifter
by Wherever Girl
Summary: Sometimes there's hearts that are harder to mend. Sometimes it's impossible to move on from the past. Swaine learns this the hard way, while trying to make up for his sins of the past, and has a run-in with a girl who holds a bitter grudge against him. Rated T just in case.
1. A Failed Bounty

**~Chapter 1~**

_**A Failed Bounty**_

*0*0*0*

"GAH FLIPPIN' DAMMIT!"

Many beasts in the land were alerted by the shout that echoed across the Rolling Hills, some wandering closer feeling that it could be a fresh fight to engage in, while wiser ones took leave knowing they would be out-matched. One beast in particular, a large red Rhinosaur, stumbled in a daze, passing out for a few seconds as it was out of energy, while a large Ruftian charged at it.

*POW!*

A blade shot through the air just then, piercing the beast in its side before it could reach its injured opponent, making the creature roar in pain before falling on its side. In a flash of light, the Ruftian was gone, transported to another region after finally losing its luster after a long fight. The Rhinosaur was close to fading himself, until a hand held out an ice-cream cone. It gobbled it up quick- treats always helped familiars get refreshed after taking so much damage.

"Sorry, boy, I should have stepped in sooner,"

The Rhinosaur looked up as the hand stroked his head, staring up at the face of a girl of nineteen, with long black hair tied back by a torn piece of brown cloth, with a red band around her head pressing down her short bangs cut in a straight line. Said girl wore a black tunic with baggy brown pants, leather sandals, black leather bands around her wrists with yellow gems circling around it, and ruby earrings pierced her ears. Her eyes were a golden-hazel color, and her skin, though naturally fair, tanned in the sun that she had been wandering under for the past several days now. In her hand was an odd type of revolver- instead of bullets, it shot blades.

Her familiar gave a snort, lightly tapping her hand with its horn, leaving her to sigh. "Right, I shouldn't feel too bad. We both gave a good fight." She stood up straight, tucking her blade-gun into a holster that hung off her left side. "Can't believe we let that Gruffian get away- lousy timing one of its un-metamorphisized kin tried to take us on just when we managed to sneak up on it."

The Rhinosaur shook its body, relaxing its muscles.

The girl smiled. "Alright bud, you rest up. You gained enough experience for today."

Suddenly the Rhinosaur shrank down to size, a glowing orb shining around it as it shrank, until it was a small light, which receded into the girl's chest, as all familiars do after a battle.

The girl sighed once more, then turned towards the direction of the Deep Dark Wood. Perhaps the Gruffian ran off that way.

She had heard talk of the beast roaming around, causing trouble for travellers, and so decided to hunt it for its bounty. It's something she had been doing for a while now, ever since she was nine. And if she hadn't tamed the Rhinosaur before then, she wouldn't have gotten too far at that age.

Picking up a large pack that she left on the ground, she walked across the field, keeping her senses sharp in case any other beast wanted to pick a fight. Of course, with all the experience she gained over the years and the increase of her strength, any creature would be foolish to try to engage her. The longest battle she had that year lasted only five minutes.

She reached the edge of the wood. By this time, the sun was beginning to sink into the horizon. _Better set up camp quick. _she thought. She set up a small tent and unrolled a sleeping bag- both camouflaging against the land, thanks to a special fabric made via alchemy, which she bought from a friendly merchant three years ago. It was a hassle before then, as she couldn't shut her eyes for a minute while sleeping in the wilderness without some beast sneaking up on her, and it took a while to earn enough guilders to sleep at the Cat's Cradle for more than a couple nights.

Yes, her 'camou-camp' gave her more leisure. She could blend in on the inside, hidden 'within the scenery' as if she were invisible, while the inside of the tent automatically gave a view of a starry night which she could rest under.

Sitting inside her tent, she pulled out a small lantern from her pack- a tiny thing no bigger than her hand but still bright enough to pierce the dark- and set it beside her. She then pulled out her journal- a dark-green book with an emblem on it: a heart with a cross in the middle, and in the middle of the cross was another heart, with another cross (the pattern seemed to go on until it was just a tiny speck). She took out her pen and ink, and began to write.

_'Day 28 of Fall_

_Edge of the Deep Dark Wood_

_It was another day wasted. I've been hunting after this Gruffian for the last three days, but haven't so much as even engaged it in battle. Today, I had the advantage of sneaking up on it from behind, yet my position was blown when a Ruftian ambushed me from the side, alerting my bounty and it took off while I was forced to fight its 'lesser cousin'. I find it confusing how a more evolved species was wise enough to try to avoid a stronger opponent, while a weaker opponent decided to charge at me. _

_Ah well... no one ever said wild beasts had the exact same senses. Sometimes I believe they're like humans- no matter their strength, they'll pick a fight with anyone in hopes of growing strong, so that they may be the intimidating ones, and only the wise ones know when to back down._

_Sometimes I believe the wilderness is the only permanent home I'll ever have."_

Sighing, she set the journal aside, putting the ink and pen away while she waited for her passage to dry. Afterwards, she shut the small book and set it inside her pack, then lied on her back looking up at the stars above her head, looking for constellations until she drifted to sleep.

Hopefully her adventure would have a better turn-out tomorrow.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: And this is my first attempt at my own Ni No Kuni fic. I haven't played the game yet, but I watched a few walkthroughs online- and immediately I was sucked into the story, fell in love with the characters, and before you know it I get an idea for a fanfiction.**

**I'm asking for constructive criticism on this. If I get anything wrong, misspell something, get anyone OOC, or anything along those lines, please let me know, but hold back on the flames please (Like I said, I'm new at this category).**

**Hope you like it so far. I promise it will get more interesting later on!**


	2. The Thief and Familiar Tamer

**~Chapter Two~**

**The Thief and the Tamer**

"Having trouble there, babana-girl?"

Esther softly growled, fuming as she sat crouched on the ground, trying to light a fire, which she had been doing for almost ten minutes now. She looked over her shoulder and gave Swaine a vicious look. "If you think you can do better, have at it, or would you rather stand around and make smart-remarks all night?"

Swaine pretended to ponder. "Hmm, I think I chooose... 'smart-remarks', heh heh."

Esther seethed. It had been almost six months since Oliver returned to Motorville in his own world after defeating Shadar and returning Cassiopeia to her former glory. Since then, she went back to Al Mamoon with her father, Rashaad, as well as spend time in her homeland, as she had grown to miss it while travelling so much. Swaine, in the meantime, continued to travel the lands, starting first by going back and visiting Marcassin, his younger brother and Emperor of Hamelin. After a month or so, Esther began to miss travelling and taming familiars, often summoning her own and taking them out to the desert for training just to make sure she hadn't lost her touch. It wasn't until after Swaine dropped by for a visit two months ago that she took to travelling again, after he invited her to join him on a trip to Castaway Cove, claiming he missed picking on someone (though Esther knew that was his way of saying he missed having company). Excited to have another adventure, Esther immediately leaped to the chance...

And now she was regretting it. The most they had done was re-visit familiar friends (which was the best of the trip), fight off beasts (which they were used to), or argued with each other over anything from which paths to take, to who should buy the provisions next (the worst for her). If Mr. Drippy, Lord High Lord of the Fairies, were still with them rather than back in his homeland, he would no doubt compare them to an old married couple.

She had to admit, though, she did miss travelling, and no matter what kind of comment he had to make, she was glad to have Swaine at her side through it all... She just wished Oliver would return too, as the boy returned to Motorville in his world to move on with his life. She often looked forward to him visiting.

Esther let out a bitter sigh. "Just help me out, alright? I'm too tired to bicker with you now," she muttered. It had been a long day of wandering, the two of them setting up camp in Golden Grove after fighting off a few beasts.

"Alright, if you're too tired to work," Swaine joked, but humbly got to work building a fire, managing to have one lit in less than five minutes. "See? That's how it's done,"

Esther rolled her eyes. "Marvellous," she then lied down on her sleeping bag, exhausted. It was Swaine's turn to keep watch that night, as she had been up in the late of last night to the early morning, having only gotten enough rest when they passed by Ding Dong Dell. Despite they had nothing to worry about now that the Dark Djinn and White Witch were gone, there were still a few beasts that loved to pick fights on travelers, not to mention there were other thieves looking to nab anything that wasn't nailed to the ground. Not to mention they had to keep an eye on their provisions and fire- when beasts weren't attacking, they were trying to sneak away with their food, and with the fallen leaves around the grove they had to make sure the fire didn't spread.

But, it was nothing they couldn't handle. They could get some sleep when they reached Al Mamoon anyway, as they were heading back there so Esther could tell Rashaad how their travels had been- plus she missed having a babana-split, which she had been craving for the past week now.

As the desert-girl lied down to rest, Swaine leaned back against the tree, looking up at the branching tops, spotting the stars in the sky. The trip was long, and he admitted he wished Oliver were with them to use one of his spells to immediately transfer them to any location, and spare the treading, but when they stopped to rest and had a chance to enjoy the scenery, he didn't mind it too much. Back when he first ran away from Hamelin, it was one of the things he enjoyed most- when he wasn't fending for his own survival, that is.

Sometimes he missed the old times, despite they weren't too long ago: Travelling with Oliver, Esther, Mr. Drippy; fighting various enemies; hunting down long-lost treasures... It had its ups and downs, of course- for one thing there were times where he wanted to kick Mr. Drippy across the field whenever he would ramble about something, Oliver had to be given a lesson about many places they visited as it took him a while to understand how their world worked, and- of course- he and Esther couldn't go one day without bickering about something. But, the ex-prince had to admit, he couldn't find better travelling companions.

One reason why he invited Esther to join him was just to get a feel of those times again. He even considered sailing on a ship to the Faerie Grounds, to see if Mr. Drippy would tag along too- the only thing that stopped him was that he wouldn't want to invite him without Oliver around, as he and the fairy seemed to be on friendlier terms. Perhaps, if/when Oliver decided to return, they could visit the Lord High Lord of the Fairies together, as a surprise... depending how patient Swaine was feeling.

Then there was Tengri, their dragon. Ever since Oliver left, the massive creature took to the skies, perhaps to search for him, or explore until his return. Swaine wished the dragon had stuck by them after the young wizard left, as flying sounded a LOT easier than walking, but perhaps since everyone went their separate ways for a while, perhaps the dragon decided to do the same. It wouldn't be a surprise if they came across him again, though, and Tengri was immediately willing to give them a ride anywhere.

The thief looked to the skies, imagining seeing Tengri swooping down, or Oliver using Gateway to appear, or Mr. Drippy suddenly falling out of a tree and going on a rant of how they started travelling without him. He looked back at Esther, thankful that he had at least one friend with him on his travels now.

_You can't keep hoping it will be like this forever, _the pessimistic side of his brain kicked in. _Someday, everyone will have to move on with their lives, and your days of travelling with them will be limited, if not stop entirely. _

He sighed. If only time could stand still, he wished. He looked at Esther once more, seeing she had already fallen asleep, and their familiars were still resting from their last fight, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

_Someday, _he thought. _But hopefully, not too soon._

***0*0*0***

**A/N: Thought I'd just throw in a scene depicting what Swaine and Esther have been up to. I figured, after Oliver left, everyone would go off to do their own little things, until Swaine decides he wants some company again. **

**I'm still watching the walkthroughs as there's still some information to be gained (if you can't tell already). I watched all the cutscenes, learning a little more of all that happened, but still felt confused at some parts, especially since there wasn't much detail given about the places they visited and such, so forgive me if I botch anything up.**

**Reviews are welcome as well as constructive criticism, but please hold back on the flames.**


	3. Al Mamoon

**~Chapter Three~**

**A Visit to Al Mamoon**

_'Day 32 of Fall_

_Cat's Cradle Hotel, Al Mamoon_

_I decided to try a new assignment while tracking the Gruffian. I read a newsletter about a man having lost his diary and is offering a large reward for its return- the kind of assignment I would gladly take on. The only downside to the trip is that he lost it in the desert, and had been living here in Al Mamoon, meaning I had to stray away from my bounty for a while. I wouldn't have gone to the trouble if it meant traveling so far, but I was low on guilders and supplies, and there was hardly a problem anywhere else nearby that hadn't been solved yet._

_Having earned enough, I decided to reside in the Cat's Cradle for tonight after spending the day stocking up on supplies. But, before turning in, I swear I thought I saw a familiar face... which is something, since there's hardly a face from my past that I know anymore.'_

*0*0*0*

"Excuse me, sir, but does this belong to you?" The drifter asked the hefty gentleman in front of her, holding up the diary. He was an English man wearing a gray suit and boulder-hat, baring a mustache.

"My diary! Oh, I was wondering if I would ever find it again!" The man replied, shaking her hand. "Thank you my dear! Every time I lose this booklet, I always feel as if the world is going to end, what what."

She arched an eyebrow. "_Every_ time... like this has happened before?"

The man blushed a bit. "Oh... every so often on occasion. Luckily, somebody is always helpful to find it! And, like always, I am always gracious to give them a reward," The man handed her 100 guilders, and some babanas. "My compliments to you, my dear. From this point on, I shall be more careful!"

_Yeah right, _the drifter thought, giving a polite nod before walking away. _How could anyone be so careless with a diary? And what did he write in it that could make it so important to get back immediately- some private secret of his that he doesn't want anyone to find out? He's lucky I'm not the peeping type. ...Ah well, if he keeps losing it, at least I'll have a way to make extra money._

She walked along the market, stopping by one of the milk fountains to sit down and eat her babanas. A man selling curry was talking with a customer, loud enough that it was impossible for anyone within five feet not to hear. "Oh yes, we all miss the young wizard, Oliver. He was the one who helped me find my passion for making my special curry again!" he was saying. "I'm always looking forward to the day when he will come visit again- I always give him a complimentary serving, as I cannot find a way to thank him enough."

_Oliver... _The drifter had heard that name before. Of course, who hasn't? She heard tales of how he had taken out the Dark Djinn, Shadar, and the evil White Witch... but never learned all the details, but for her own reasons.

One of them being because she preferred not to get involved in such matters, keeping to herself.

The other being because that's how her parents raised her... before they abandoned her.

She shook her head. _Don't go thinking about it, stupid. It's in the past, get on with your life. _she told herself.

Still, she would like to meet this 'Oliver' wizard. She never even seen him before- or perhaps she had but was either in too much of a hurry to notice, or he wore a disguise to fool his enemies. Too bad he was gone, as she heard, she would probably have the chance of crossing paths with him... though wasn't one to make friends immediately, or get excited over meeting the 'savior' of this world as everyone called him. No, perhaps they would just exchange stories, then go on their way, as she was never one to get attached to anyone, except her familiar.

Finishing her babanas after a few minutes, she walked down the streets to head to the Cat's Cradle, passing by the Babana Stand as it was preparing to close, where the owner, Rashaad, was talking to two people: a young blonde-haired girl who looked to be in her early teens, and a tall, tanner young man who appeared to be in his twenties, wearing a long green jacket.

She paused after passing by. _That man... _she thought, then turned to look back at the two strangers, but they had already left, the stand closed for the evening.

She shook her head, heading to the hotel. Her mind must have been pulling tricks on her, making her see things- a sure sign that she had been out in the sun too long and was in need of rest.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: So are little drifter may know our thief from somewhere... but where, and what's their connection? ...Here's a hint: it's NOT SwainexOC related! (it's actually taking all of my willpower to resist making it that way... must... not... give... in! Gah, why did they have to make Swaine appealing in his smart-aleck-with-a-sad-backstory kind of way?!)**

***ahem***

**Anyway, I'm still open to constructive criticism. No flames though!**


	4. Sleep Deprived

**~Chapter Four~**

**Sleep Deprived**

"...And then, afterwards, we visited King Tom in Ding Dong Dell," Esther told her father. "He's still having a feud with Dickory Dock, but he claims it hasn't been as irritating as it was last year. He sends his regards to you, father."

Rashaad smiled, giving a chuckle. "It seems your travels have been at a good pace. Visiting old friends, and not having too much trouble... it must have been wonderful," he said, while closing the folds of his tent, closing his stand for the night.

Swaine gave a quiet scoff. "Save for the beasts that are still running about," he commented.

"But nothing we couldn't handle," Esther retorted. "Honestly, Swaine, you act like it's the first time you had to fend off a Bonehead!"

"(better than travelling with the 'bonehead' beside me),"

"What?!"

"I said, you'd be sick of it too if you did it every day."

Rashaad chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, if you are so tired, you're more than welcome to stay in our home for the night," he offered.

"What?/Excuse me?" Esther and Swaine said at the same time, the former shocked while the latter was mildly surprised.

"I don't see a reason why you couldn't. You have been a great help to Oliver and my daughter on their journeys, and a good companion. You are welcome in my home, as any friend is."

"(provided he doesn't steal anything,)" Esther muttered quietly.

"What?" Swaine asked, giving her a look.

"I said it'll save you some guilders, not having to sleep at the Cat's Cradle,"

"Come, lets go in." Rashaad said, and they walked off.

Swaine paused, however, looking over his shoulder at a girl who had walked by, with long black hair tied back with a piece of fabric, and a holster on her side. Something about her drew his attention, but what?

Esther called him back to reality, and he shook his head, following them around the corner. The girl probably wasn't important, anyway.

*0*0*0*

The trio had a quick dinner, followed by exchanging more stories, before Rashaad decided to turn in...

It was then Esther realized they didn't have a guest-room. She and her father lived in a small apartment in the city, with a balcony overlooking the milk fountains, and two small bedrooms, dining area, and sitting room... but no space for company to spend the night.

She figured Swaine could sleep on the couch, or camp out on the floor.

If he wanted to sleep at all, as the thief was standing out on the balcony, looking up at the stars. Esther stood in the doorway. "I'm heading to bed," she said to him, then- because her father taught her to be polite when having guests- added, "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable anywhere you want,"

"Alright, thanks." Swaine answered, walking back inside... towards her room!

She trudged after him. "I didn't mean in MY room," she said bitterly, yet kept her voice low so her father wouldn't hear.

"Hey, you said I could make myself comfortable anywhere I wanted... and your room looks the most comfortable." he smirked.

Esther felt a vein throb in her forehead. "You know I didn't mean there... why don't you sleep on the couch, or on one of our throw-cushions?"

"Fine, whatever you say... as long as I'm not poking fun at your collection of dolls, right?"

Esther rolled her eyes. "GOODNIGHT, Swaine," she muttered, heading into her room, closing the curtain. She heard Swaine chuckle to himself before walking away, and shook her head, then changed into some pyjamas.

The familiar-tamer lied down on her bed, consisting of large plush pillows on a large circular mattress, staring up at the ceiling...

That's when she began to feel uneasy. Having spent so many days either sleeping under the stars or in the decorative rooms of the Cat's Cradle, it felt weird sleeping in her own bedroom again, as if it were a foreign environment now. She let out a sigh, shutting her eyes and deciding to think of pleasant thoughts until she fell asleep, thinking of how comfortable it felt to be home again and not having to keep watch or pay for a room to sleep in...

Before she could drift off, she heard shuffling out in the living room. _It had better be father sneaking a late-night snack... _she thought bitterly. Her father had a rare tendency to snag a bite from the kitchen (even Great Sages have their own habits), but she knew in her mind exactly who could still be awake.

Getting out of bed, she poked her head out from behind the curtain of her room, seeing Swaine pacing in the living room. "Swaine?" she called out in a whisper, getting his attention. "What are you still doing up? It's the middle of the night!"

"Sorry, I forgot how much 'beauty sleep' you need," he remarked. "Another good 24 hours should make up for it."

Esther shook her head- no matter what time of the day (or night) it was, the thief always had some comment to make. She might as well had turned and gone back to bed, but the fact that Swaine was still up kept her mind from agreeing on that suggestion. There were many reasons on why the older man could be up: Perhaps he was used to staying up so late in their travels that he had grown used to lack of sleep (despite how much he complained about it); Maybe there was something on his mind keeping him awake; Or... he wanted to swipe something but Esther caught him before he could make an attempt- that last part was more of a joke, as her friend gave up thieving the day Oliver mended his broken heart.

Whatever the reason could be, she knew she wouldn't be able to rest until she found out what it was, settled the matter, and made sure Swaine stopped his pacing. It amazed her that anything could keep him up, anyway, considering he was the only one in the group who would immediately hit the mattress the moment they checked into a Cat's Cradle, and would sleep the whole night and even half the morning, giving a killing glance at anyone who kept him up or woke him from his slumber (Mr. Drippy learned that the hard way, once).

"Cut it out with the smart-remarks, and just tell me what's keeping you up," Esther sighed, way too tired to argue with him right now.

Swaine shrugged, stroding over to a window, leaning against it. "Just been thinking, that's all." he answered, casually. "Minds as large as mine never sleep, you know."

The desert-girl rolled her eyes- a number of insults came to mind, but she knew from experience it would lead to an arguement, and as loud as they could get with their bickering her father would no doubt be awoken in moments, angrily demanding they cease their fight- and his mood could rival Swaine's any day.

"I see. What's on your mind?" she asked instead, walking over.

Swaine only shrugged. He wasn't one to really exchange feelings or share thoughts- unless he was giving criticism or complaining- but he had changed somewhat since then. Plus, he figured talking would help ease whatever was on his mind and help him get some sleep. "Quite a bit," he started. "I've been thinking about travelling,"

"Where to? We've been practically everywhere,"

Swaine shook his head. "I don't mean where to go, but more like where I've been... I've been thinking about how much has changed since I first ran away. I had to go it alone for years, used to looking out for myself, decieving and cheating others in order to survive... then one day I just stopped caring, taking whatever I wanted whether I needed it or not. Until the day I heard Hamelin had changed and something was going on with Marcassin, and was desperate to get back. That was the time I met you lot, got my heart mended, and took to travelling.

"Honestly, I didn't know what all I was getting into, 'til Shadar caused that Eye of the Storm. But even after that, I still pressed on with you all, just to help out my brother. After helping him out... I guess I wasn't paying attention at completing my goal, then focused on helping you with your quest." he paused, sighing heavily as he walked out onto the balcony, looking up at the stars as he had been doing earlier that evening. "Now that it's all over... I guess I'm trying to figure out what to do next."

Esther stood beside him, knowing where he was coming from. She, too, pondered what to do with her life now that their adventure had come to an end. Perhaps that's why he asked her to join her in his travels in the first place.

"Though, every time I went out on my own, before you came along, all I thought about was what I had been like the first time, thinking about all the horrible things I've done... That's what's keeping me awake now." he finished. "A rotten feeling guilt is, I must confess. I was hoping that, after helping Oliver save the world, the weight would be lifted off my shoulders, but the sinking feeling is still there."

"Maybe there's more you could do," Esther suggested. "Think about all the people you cheated, and find a way to make amends."

Swaine gave her a look. "You really think that would help? I've done some awful things, Esther... you really think they would forgive me?"

She shrugged. "It's the best you could do. Some might forgive you, others might take some time... but the feeling won't go away unless you try."

The thief nodded. "Well, if the White- er, if Cassiopeia can make amends, I might as well take a wing at it."

"I'll come along too," Esther suddenly offered. She had no idea where it came from- perhaps, talking about a friend seeking redemption for his sins, she wanted to show support. "I mean, if you need a hand. No one should do it alone,"

Swaine chuckled. "I don't think I need help apologizing... but you have a point, it would be best if I had some support." he blinked a bit, shaking his head as if confused. "Damn, sleep-deprivation is starting to get to me... 'better turn in before I start talking crazy, eh?"

Esther gave a scoff. "Too late." They walked back inside, and the thief walked over to the couch, sitting on it and leaning back, still looking deep in thought. The desert-girl knew she wouldn't sleep if she knew he was alone with his thoughts. "Swaine," she whispered, getting his attention once more. "If you want, you can share my room,"

He began to laugh. "Now look who's talking crazy." he stood up, walking over to her room with her. "Alright, then- a thief never turns down a good offer."

Esther rolled her eyes. Entering her room, she grabbed a couple pillows and a blanket, handing them to him to sleep on, before lying down on her own bed, while he slept at the end of it. "Goodnight, Swaine."

"'Night..." Swaine said, yawning. A lot still preyed on his mind- where to start with this new goal of his, who all he had wronged... telling his friend what he had done...

There was something from his past that he deeply regretted, though unlike lying and stealing, he knew it would be impossible to amend.

Sleep began to overcome him, however, and decided it would be best not to worry about it until the time drew near. He covered up with his blankets, curling up at the foot of the circular pillow-of-a-bed, drifting off.

For some reason, he thought back to that girl he saw in the marketplace, wondering where he had seen her before...

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Alright, it took me a LOT of strength not to turn this into a Swaine/Esther fluff (I'll save that for another time). Right now, trying to focus one-plot-at-a-time here...**

**So, yep, looks like this duo will be going on a new quest based on redeeming Swaine's conscience... and don't worry, folks, Oliver will be showing up soon enough to join them ;)**

**Please review and share constructive criticism. Do not flame.**


	5. A Face from the Past

**~Chapter Five~**

**A Face from the Past**

_'Day 33_

_I was walking out of Swift Solutions, having decided to take on a new bounty in the desert until I could get back to the Rolling Hills and hunt that damn Gruffian..._

_Then I saw him again. And heard his name._

_That wretched thief is back...'_

*0*0*0*

_Hmm, Boneheads are wandering around the dunes, being a burden to travelers... a woman wants to send some fruit to her husband by Old Smoky but has a broken arm... someone's kids are stuck on the roof... Yeah, gonna take on the Boneheads. _The drifter thought, clicking her tongue. Apparently not much has been posted at this Swift Solutions shop- at least nothing she would take pride in doing. Finding missing items, fighting beasts, or capturing thieves- those were what she took on, not delivering messages or treats- maybe help those kids, but in her opinion they shouldn't have been climbing up on roofs in the first place.

She took out her Stamp Card for Swift Solutions- it was nearly filled, and killing those Boneheads would complete it with three stamps. Then maybe she could trade it in for something good. Maybe a new knife or warm clothes for cold nights... whatever she needed.

She never really spent anything on something she _wanted_- she learned first-hand when she was ten, that she had to put the bare essentials first, after spending money for some nice-looking shoes when she could have used it for food... to make matters worse the shoes were worn out before the week was out, clearly not meant for travelling rugged terrains, and she was starving by the time she managed to get to Golden Grove and get some apples to satisfy her appetite.

Nope, from that point on she focused only on her needs: health, provisions, and defense.

She sighed, putting her card away and walking out, ready to bring out her familiar and fight some Boneheads...

She saw them again the moment she walked out the door: the blonde-haired girl and tall, tan man from the night before. She looked at them as they passed by, studying the man a little more... why did he look so familiar?

This time, she didn't just turn and go on her way, for she knew that- now that she's seen him a second time, and in brood daylight where she got a better look at him- the thought of his familiarity would never give her peace. There was just something about him that made her both curious and uneasy at the same time... but what?

She walked in their direction, deciding she could maybe just walk up and ask who he is. As she got closer, she could hear them bickering about something...

"Honestly, Swaine, you're so thick-headed!" The girl scoffed.

_Swaine?_

The girl froze in her steps, ducking behind a large pot when the two stopped to face each other. Now she was spying on them, watching as they argued.

"Me?! You're the one who thinks she knows how to travel- while I've been travelling since I was ten!" The man, Swaine, bitterly replied. "You go on one quest, and suddenly you think you've mapped out every place..."

"I'm telling you, Autumnia is too far! We should just start in Castaway Cove- it's a shorter route, and we can head to Autumnia from there."

Swaine scoffed. "I'd still rather head to Autumnia, and take care of business there first..."

"Do you want to do this, or stand around bickering? It's best to head to each closest town where you've wronged people and sort everything out- it'll save more time than just galavanting wherever you want..."

"Alright- if it'll get you to shut up a moment, we'll head to Castaway Cove first! Sheesh... you're more annoying than the fairy, did you know that?"

"Oh, shut up and lets go, you idiot." With that, the two walked out of the city.

The girl watched them go, her eyes zeroed-in on Swaine as she gritted her teeth. _Swaine... _she thought, growling a bit. _How is it possible that thief is still alive?! He should have been hunted down and executed by now!_

She stood up, walking out of the city, following them at a distance where she could still see them, but wouldn't be noticed by them. She forgot about her bounties, now having a new task in mind.

_I guess I'll have to handle this guy... and this time, he won't get away with what he's done- alive. _she thought, darkly.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Aaaaand... the mystery is still pretty deep. All we know is Swaine did something to the girl, and is in for a world of trouble. **

**Also, Reviewer Thanks! :D**

**Kerath: **I hope the story keeps your best interest! And thanks for the compliments, though I'm still learning a few things about the game so forgive any mistakes. As for my OC, I'm actually planning on having her be more of an 'anti-hero' for the most part (anything to avoid a Mary Sue), and won't reveal too much about her character too soon (going to just draw out the mystery as far as I can). Thank you for reading, and yes one of these days I may try my shot at a Swaine/Esther fluff ;)

**Please review, but don't flame!**


	6. The Wizard of Motortown

**~Chapter Six~**

**The Wizard in Motorville**

It was a lovely home. A nice two-story house with a white picket-fenced yard with a tree out front; inside was a small but tidy kitchen, and a living room equipped with a fireplace; upstairs was a long hallway, with a few bedrooms, though only two had been used.

Standing by the fence was a young boy with reddish-brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a yellow shirt, worn jeans, and a brown belt. His name was Oliver, a boy who lived in the town of Motorville and had an ordinary life consisting of school, an afternoon job at Leila's Milk Bar, and spending his weekends with his friends...

What no one would notice was that the young 13-year-old boy was also a wizard, who saved another world from destruction, as well as mended the broken hearts of many people, who took down the Dark Djinn Shadar and White Witch some would say... but in his eyes, he knew that they were only feeling despair.

Shadar, or Luciene as he was called, had been a soldier who was forced to watch as his own fellows-in-arms took the lives of many people... and he himself was punished when they burned down his own village, all because he saved a young girl's life. He wandered in despair for a long time, until the White Witch called to him, giving him powers to break hearts and spread the pain he felt, turning him into the Dark Djinn... Once Oliver learned he was his soul-mate and reconciled with him, Luciene severed their link, so that the child would not die, and the world felt anew afterwards.

Cassieopia had to rule the kingdom when she was just a little girl, only to learn years later that the Council were running the country behind her back, destroying the lives of people... and was misguided by using the 'manna' spell- which she believed would save her people but only turned them into heartless monsters, and she herself succumbed to darkness, wanting to destroy the world and 'remake' it her way, becoming the White Witch. When she got re-connected with her past self, 'Pea', she changed, no longer in despaire of the past, no longer possessed by the Corrupted Council, she went on to rule her kingdom with a full heart and make amends with everyone.

The way Oliver saw it, all he and his friends did was what they had been doing since the journey began: mend broken hearts. Once the quest was complete, he decided to return to Motorville, to move on from his own despair that he felt when his mother died, his heart feeling at peace...

If only it were that simple.

His eyes drifted to the 'For Sale- Sold' sign in the yard, and he unleashed a heavy sigh.

After three days since returning to Motorville, Oliver was sitting in the kitchen, helping himself to some eggs and toast he had made, when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to be greeted by a man in a suit, claiming to be from a special agency, who was informed that Oliver was an orphan with no relatives to take him in, or pay the bills, or tend to his needs such as school or insurance.

Soon Oliver was calling up Miss Leila to come over, as she had been stopping by to check on the boy every day or so. She informed the man that she could take care of Oliver... until a new family was found.

Oliver could not stay in his home anymore, having to move out within a week, staying in the apartment behind Miss Leila's shop, the agent dropping by every week or so to see how he was doing and telling him about each family he found to take care of him. The boy kept refusing, despite he knew Miss Leila couldn't afford to take care of him forever.

The man said he would have to decide soon, otherwise be put in an orphanage.

It had been six months- each month the agent had dropped by, and each time Oliver turned down the offer of a family. He would like to be part of a family... but every time he thought about it, he felt a sadness in his heart, as if he were deliberately trying to replace his mother- let alone moving away from the friends he had made, both in this world AND the other world. Would he still be able to visit the other world if he were in another town? Possibly... yet something inside still kept him from wanting to go into foster-care, like he wouldn't really belong in another family. Not after gaining a new one...

Alright, so a thief, a familiar-tamer, and a fairy wouldn't exactly be considered a 'family' to some social worker... but for Oliver, they were the closest thing to a family since he lost his mother. Esther, despite being close to his age, was like a sister to him and very nurturing when it came to deep moments; Swaine and Marcassin were like the brothers he never had; and Mr. Drippy... er... well he was more of a 'wise yet high-spirited uncle who wasn't so good with sympathy' (Oliver considered him a good mentor... but knew the fairy was a bit too rugged in personality to swap feelings).

He had good friends here, too. Miss Leila was very supportive; Myrtle was always there to talk to; and Phillip, though often making wise-cracks, was always willing to lend a hand... But, Oliver felt a stronger attachement to Swaine, Esther, and Mr. Drippy.

Thinking about them always left a pang in his heart- he missed them so much, and wanted to go back to that world so badly. But with school, the agent, and his home being sold while he may be sent away, he nearly forgot about it.

That is, until later that afternoon.

A moving van pulled up, followed by a mini-van, and a young couple climbed out with their three kids: two girls and a boy. The boy turned and looked at Oliver but shyly looked away, as they headed into his... no, 'their' home.

Biting his lip, Oliver turned and walked down the sidewalk, heading to Myrtle's house, in need of expressing his sorrows.

Myrtle was a nice young girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and wearing a nice blue dress- looking just like Esther if she pulled her hair up. "Oliver, is everything okay?" she asked, having noticed him while sitting on the porch, seeing the sad look on his face.

"A new family moved into my... the house." Oliver said, sighing.

Myrtle nodded in understanding. "I see... would you like to take a walk and talk about it?"

Oliver nodded. As they walked, though, he didn't really know what to say- how uncomfortable he felt that some strangers were now living in his old home, how he may be sent away, and how much he wanted to just stay in town and not have to worry about any of it despite it was impossible.

Before he could say a word, though, a blonde-haired boy with glasses came running up- his friend, Phillip. "Hey, Ollie! I finally fixed it!" he exclaimed. "The car is ready to take to the road again- hey, what's with the long face?"

"A new family moved into the house," Oliver whispered.

"Psshh, so? It was bound to happen- I mean, you don't live there anymore. Might as well move on, Ollie, and live in the now."

Myrtle gave him a glare. "Phillip! How could you be so insensitive!" she snapped. "Oliver doesn't have anywhere else to live... and someday they might..." she paused, catching herself on that last part.

"Send him away? I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just choose a family that lives close enough, and you can come visit anytime! Now c'mon, I want to show you-"

"You really think it's that simple to get over?!"

"That simple?! It's been six months! He's had more than enough time to get over it!"

Myrtle seethed. "Oh, Phillip, you're such a... such a _swine_!"

"I'm just stating the obvious, you dumb girl!"

Oliver looked back and forth between his friends... their arguing jogged a memory for him.

Then the idea hit him- after so many months of sorrow clouding his mind, it finally hit him!

Phillip did have a point: he could just choose a family close enough and come visit whenever he wanted.

And he knew just the kind of family to choose.

"I have to go guys! Thanks for your help!" Oliver exclaimed, giddily running down the street.

Phillip and Myrtle exchanged confused glances. "Help with... what?" Phillip questioned.

*0*0*0*

Oliver raced back to the apartment, straight up to his room, where at the end of his bed sat a trunk- where he kept Mornstar, the Wizard's Companion, sea-shell necklace left to him by his mother, and his locket used to store pieces of heart. After returning, he had kept them stored away safely- despite no one else would see them as magical elements, he still didn't want to risk losing them. Turning the combination of his lock, he opened the trunk, smiling wide at the items inside.

Using Mornstar, he could just go back to the other world and be with his friends, start a brand new life with them! He knew it was the best option- rather than be forced to live somewhere else, he could choose to live his own life in the world of magic.

Why hadn't he thought of this in the first place!

"Oliver, are you up there?" called a voice, belonging to Miss Leila.

"Uh, yes!" Oliver said, shutting the trunk. "I'm here!"

"Oh good. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, be sure to wash up!"

"I will!"

Okay... so there was the problem. He couldn't just disappear to the magic-world forever just like that- everyone would be worried about him, for one thing. It was different the first time, as everyone believed he wanted to be alone after his mother died, not really giving any thought to his change of clothes or the fact that he was talking to 'an imaginary friend' (Mr. Drippy), believing it was his way of coping with grief- living in his own little world, they believed. Now that the agent came along, they were more involved in where he went off to, and then there was school, which kept him busy...

But it wasn't like he was going to be around forever, whether he was sent to an orphanage or went to a parallel world. He knew they couldn't take care of him forever in this world... yet in the other world, he could practically take care of himself- there were no agents telling him where to live, he could find a new home, and would be surrounded by friends no matter where he went. Not to mention, he had been gone from that world way too long- he felt it was his responsibility to look after it.

Oliver sat down at his desk, taking out a piece of paper and a pencil, writing a farewell letter. Timmy Toldrum rubbed against his legs, purring as the boy wrote...

_'Dear Miss Leila, _

_I have gone to live with a new family. Please don't be upset or worried- I've known them a long time now, and I know things will be okay. It's not too far, and I'll come visit often. Tell Phillip that I wish him good-luck on his car, and tell Myrtle to keep up her hard work!_

_Don't be sad, because I knew sooner or later I would have to leave. But I'll be back, I promise! I'll miss you all very much, until the next time I come back._

_Love, Oliver.'_

He looked over the letter- it wasn't the best, but he didn't know what else to write. He have consideration to just leaving without a word, like Swaine had done when the thief ran away from home, but didn't want to follow that example and leave everyone overcome with worry and grief. He knew they would be sad- but as he mentioned in the letter, he was going to end up leaving anyway, but would return. Hopefully, it would not take a large toll on them...

It felt selfish, but at the same time it felt like the best option he had...

He folded the letter and left it on the desk, and decided he would leave tonight, once Miss Leila had gone to bed, his thoughts lingering on seeing Esther, Swaine, and Mr. Drippy again...

_I'm coming home, guys, _Oliver thought, picking up Mornstar and smiling, feeling joy in his heart once more.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: First of all, don't shoot me because this was a poorly-written chapter... and that I'm giving away too many spoilers here :P**

***Here's another spoiler!***

**I noticed in the ending, they just had Oliver return to Motorville, make a promise to his mother that he'd move on, and... that's it. No input on how he would live now that he was an orphan- okay, maybe it was different back in the 50's (which I assume is the time he originally lives) but I'm sticking to what I have. I always figured sooner or later someone would come along and believe Oliver couldn't just live on his own, since he's under age, and that under some sort of circumstances he would decided to return to the Ni No Kuni world to live his life... (c'mon, guys, you know that's what you wished he would do, too!)**

**I also wish I could have written that letter better, but I was thinking of how Oliver would right it: honest and pure. As for how everyone in Motorville will react... meh, I'll write about that later. All that matters now is Oliver is heading back! **

**Again, please don't shoot me- just share constructive criticism, and a next chapter shall come.**


	7. Family Council

**~Chapter Seven~**

**Family Council**

_I wonder when he'll be back..._

Marcassin stood on a balcony, overlooking the kingdom of Hamelin as he thought about his older brother. He always found himself pondering about Gascon's (or 'Swaine' as friends called him) travels, and when they would see each other again. He developed the habit as a young child, when the older prince set off on his own. Over the course of fifteen years, the young Sage had to focus more on his kingdom, losing patience on his brother's return until he stopped believing he would return altogether, and eventually stopped believing in himself.

Yes, if it wasn't for the young wizard, Oliver, the young Emporer of Hamelin would have let the city fall into ruins, and would never have seen his long-lost brother again.

After the world had been saved, Marcassin had asked Gascon to come and rule Hamelin with him, as it was proven- while making the Clarion- they worked well together. But, his brother had different plans in mind...

_"I want to travel the world, first." Swaine had said._

_"But you've already been everywhere!" Marcassin said with a hearty chuckle. "From Autumnia to the Miasma Marshes! Surely there isn't a single island you haven't set foot on!"_

_"Yeah, but everything's different now... I want to see all that's changed. And who knows? There could be lost cities somewhere... I heard talk that Xanadu might be risen from the seas, courtesy of the Wizard Queen," he turned and looked out the window. "Truth be told... I just don't think I'm ready to settle down just yet. It feels too soon, that there's more I can do."_

_Marcassin gave a nod. "I cannot tell you what to chose, Brother. If you feel you must see the world another time, by all means, go ahead and live! ...But promise me you'll always come back."_

_Swaine turned and gave him a smirk. "Have I've ever broken that promise?"_

_Marcassin smiled. "When will you be back?"_

_"Heh, I haven't even left yet and you're already asking? ...How about this, I'll come back at the end of every season, just to give you an update and keep you from worrying."_

_"Fair enough... Don't dawdle, though. If you're not back after one week within each new season, I'll put out a bounty for your capture, ha ha."_

_"Oh, like THAT'S ever stopped me!"_

Marcassin sighed, lightly chuckling to himself. His brother was always the most high-spirited in the family...

There was a knock at the door. "Pardon me, your highness, but you have a visitor." Said a guard wearing thick, round armor as he poked his head in.

The young Sage nodded. "Send her in," he replied, as he was expecting this specific guest.

A moment later, the doors opened. "Announcing, The Wizard Queen, Cassiopeia!" a guard announced, as a young woman with bright-green hair, green eyes, wearing a lovely white dress entered, also holding flowers.

"Greetings, Queen Cassiopeia." Marcassin greeted her with a bow. "And to what does Hamelin owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The young queen chuckled. "Just came by to ask you something... and please, Marcassin, you and I are good friends now. You may address me as 'Pea'," she replied.

Marcassin gave a nod- he had a feeling Cassiopeia would like to be addressed by the nickname her father gave her... as well as the name of her child-like spirit who helped free her from despair. "As you wish. What is it that you ask of me?"

The queen smiled. "Well, it's more of an offer. You see, I've decided I'm going to form a new council... A council made up of trustworthy friends and fellow rulers. So far I've asked King Tom and Queen Lowlah, and the sage Khulan and her pirate-friend, Kublai. I've come to ask if you would like to be a member of my council as well?"

Marcassin gave a small smile. Over the past half-year, the Wizard Queen had been travelling all over, making amends with all she had wronged. Some were wary to forgive her, let alone trust her again, but considering Oliver had restored her true identity and rid her of corruption, things had slowly worked out. He also knew that 'Pea' was still inside her, and had faith that she would keep to her good will...

And with the guidance of friends, there was an extra chance she would stay that way. "I would love to join your council, your radiance..." The sage began, but pondered a bit. "But, I would like to talk this decision over with my brother, Gascon, first. He and I rule Hamelin together, so it's only fair we speak of these affairs as well."

Cassiopeia nodded. "I understand... Actually, I was hoping Swaine- Oops, I mean 'Gascon', was around to hear my offer, too." She looked down at the colorful flowers in her hands. "I want to ask everyone who has helped free me from corruption. You, your brother, Esther... Oliver... all who stood strong together in the darkest of times." she began to wince, smiling, but cleared her throat. "So, where has your brother gone off to?"

"Travelling. He said he wanted to explore the world again, before settling down to rule."

Cassiopeia cocked her head. "On his own? Don't you worry about him?"

Marcassin chuckled. "Every day... But I know he can make it. Plus, last time he came around, Esther was with him... Something tells me he just wants to relive the good ol' days he had with her and Oliver. But I know he'll be back. He always comes around when I need him... That's what family is for, after all- being there for one another, no matter the circumstances."

The Wizard Queen smiled brightly. "Then you both will fit well in my council, because that's how I'd like it to be..." She handed him a shining dark-blue flower with a golden-trim, which he accepted. "Just like a family."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**A/N: What? You thought I'd leave Marcassin and Pea out of this? Ha! Trust me, my friends, they'll have a good part to play in all this, though it will be a while. ...Anyway, I figured, once she's made amends, Cassiopeia (I've been spelling that right, haven't I?) would want to form a new council to help her rule- made up of the rulers of the three kingdoms, Great Sages, and of course our heroes and their allies. (I know some of them might not really be council-types, mostly Kublai, but you never know- they're willing to lend a hand to keep the world safe!). **

**And another Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Yeah, quite a plot hole (I'm hoping they'll make a sequel); I did consider the idea of Oliver moving in to live with Myrtle, but my mind kept screaming 'No! He has to live in the other world!'... Plus, I had a different idea in mind, something to do with another question that popped into my head (though for the sake of spoilers, I won't mention it); Yeah, I figure as much, but considering he's still too young to live on his own I doubt the agency would consider that, and he did turn down living with a foster-family (either way, I guess I have my own plot-holes- hopefully I can fill them in!) And you didn't insult me, you brought up a good point and only helped my writing (I might bring it up later!). And I look forward to it (yes, it's important to finish current stories... I have a habit of starting too many at a time). And I like long reviews, so no worries!

**Keep the reviews coming, as well as the constructive criticism, and we'll get to our next chapter soon enough! ...keep the flames at a distance of 1000 miles- over the side of a cliff, preferably.**


	8. Running Errands

**~Chapter Eight~**

**Running Errands**

This is how their first task started out...

Swaine and Esther started in Castaway Cove, since- after listing the number of people he had cheated and lied to- it was the city where most of the thief's crimes took place. They started by going to the man Swaine stole the cauldron containing Al-Khemi from. Swaine, of course, had to complain it shouldn't have been too big a deal, considering the man had practically _insisted _Oliver keep it after hearing sounds coming from it, but Esther was more persistent on her argument that it was still the right thing to do... and the thief knew she wouldn't stop 'nagging' him about his nit-picking until it was done.

They went to the man, and Swaine apologized for his crime, offering to pay the man back...

However, the man didn't want guilders, instead having a different idea in mind. "You were quite strong to carry such a large cauldron, and were still quick on your feet as well... I think you'd be suitable to handle a task for me," he said instead.

"What? Are you serious?! No, look, just take the money..." Swaine insisted.

Esther nudged him. "What kind of favor?" she asked the man.

"There is a nice, brass cauldron I'm looking to buy and sell from one of my stockholders..." the man said. "Sadly, however, the man who normally picks up my deliveries is out sick, and I'm not fit enough to walk clear across the desert and pick it up. To pay me back, and prove you are no longer a thief, I ask your help in retrieving it for me."

"You've got to be kidding me..." Swaine griped. "You didn't even want that cauldron, after it was returned to you, and now you're-"

"Swaine," Esther hissed. "It's just a simple errand. Just do it so you can move on, alright?"

Swaine groaned, muttering something vulgar under his breath. "Alright, I'll do it... then you'll forgive me?"

"Get me my brass cauldron, and all is forgiven," The man replied smugly, and wrote a note that would prove they had his permission in handling it. "It should be in Al Mamoon,"

"Al Mamoon?! We just came from- arggh...!" Swaine turned away, rubbing his head. He had just begun on his quest of redemption, and already he had a migraine!

Esther gave the man a kind smile. "We'll be back with your cauldron, soon!" she said sweetly, then grabbed Swaine by his sleeve and pulled him along, the older man still grumbling to himself.

And he kept grumbling until they reached Al Mamoon, to when Esther finally told him to let it go, get the errand done, and then his conscience would be cleared of his past deed. He still kept grumbling, until they went to a palace guard who was in charge of monitoring deliveries.

"Ah, yes, a brass cauldron. Yes, it's here now," the guard said, though rubbed his chin as he looked Swaine over. "Although... I'm not sure I can let you have it,"

"But, we were sent to retrieve it for a merchant in Castaway Cove," Esther said, showing him the note the merchant gave to them. "See? Written permission and all,"

"I see... but how can I trust that you'll deliver it right to him? As I recall, the last time I gave you something, Swaine, you offered to pay me back... and I'm still waiting for that payment."

Swaine slouched, remembering what the guard was talking about: the guard had given him inside information about Oliver and Esther when they first helped Queen Lowlah, to use to his advantage in getting a ship back to Autumnia. In return, he offered to give the guard an item he found to be valuable.

"A lot happened, I promise I'll get it to you soon. We just need the cauldron..." Swaine replied.

"Get me what you promised me, and the cauldron is yours." The guard replied.

The thief glared. True, he could blackmail the guard and rat out that he had been spying on conversations the Cowlipha had... but it would only result in making his reputation worse. Plus, if he was going to redeem himself, he would have to do it honestly- otherwise Esther wouldn't let him live it down, taking sides with his conscience.

"Fine, I'll get it for you. But will you promise to give us that pot?" Swaine asked.

"Of course. Hurry back, I'm sure the merchant doesn't want to be kept waiting," The guard replied.

Esther was about to say something about the guard's character, but Swaine had already turned and left. "Swaine, you know we could have gone to Queen Lowlah about this..." Esther began.

"No, I promised that man I'd get him what he wanted... might as well get it done and get another weight off my shoulders," Swaine muttered.

"Well, what does he want?"

"A set of Wolf Fangs. ...The local Cawtermaster may sell them."

They went to the Cawtermaster... but were faced with most aggravating news. "Sadly, we're out of Wolf Fangs at the moment, and we won't be getting any new shipments in until the week is out. But, one of our other branches may have some in stock," he said. "The nearest one is in Cawstaway Cove, if that helps."

Swaine groaned. "...all this because of a lousy cauldron..." he muttered as they walked out.

"Well, you know what they say: 'Crime doesn't pay'," Esther replied. "But I wonder what that guard gave you that was worth so much trouble. You think he would give us the brass cauldron if we gave it back?"

"*Sigh* No... he gave me information from the castle, and I promised I'd get him those Wolf Fangs,"

"Oh... what kind of information did he give you?"

"I can't tell you,"

Esther arched an eyebrow, suspicious. "Why?"

Swaine smirked, deciding to have a little fun to help ease the aggravation. "It was about you,"

"WHAT?!"

During the trek back to Castaway Cove, Swaine had to put up with Esther demanding what kind of information the guard could have had. The longer he held back from the truth, the redder in the face she got... and he was enjoying it. Finally, once they reached the village, he told her. "I just asked him what kind of business you and Oliver had with Queen Lowlah, figuring it would help land me a ship to Autumnia. ...That's how we met, remember?"

"Hmph, don't see why you didn't just say that in the first place." Esther pouted.

"Well, sometimes the truth hurts... Plus, it's fun to see you get all petrified like that, as if I were personally invading your privacy,"

Esther seethed. "You're such a rotten..."

"Oh, look, the Cawtermaster's," Swaine said, and swiftly walked into the shop, Esther grudgingly following.

"Ah, I remember you," the raven-noid shopkeeper said. "You're the one who sold me a glass sword, caw-laiming it was enchanted!"

Esther smirked, seeing Swaine blush in embarrassment. "Wipe the smirk off, I was eleven at the time..." he whispered to her, then turned to the Cawtermaster. "I'm willing to pay you back for that... How much?"

"Ha! Guilders aren't enough to pay back selling a Cawtermaster like myself. If you want to pay me back for that kind of stunt, bring me a _real _weapon, and we'll let bigots be bigots."

Swaine face-palmed, knowing what was coming. "What would you like?"

*0*0*0*

The Cawtermaster claimed he wanted to sell an Ice-Sword, claiming one of the sailors around the docks had one he was talking about getting rid of for a couple weeks now, but hadn't the time to ask him about a price.

They visited the sailor, who also recognized Swaine when the thief cheated him in a game of Blackjack, and said he would sell them his Ice-Sword... if they went to Ding Dong Dell and delivered a message to his fiancee, who was tending to her sick grandmother.

_It's like the whole world is turning into one big black-market! _Swaine thought as they hiked. Lord, was he really wishing for Oliver's Fast-Travel spell right now!

When meeting with the fiancee, it was no surprise she knew Swaine as well, as he had stolen a bag of guilders from her... After giving her the letter and 20 guilders, she wrote them a letter back to give to the sailor, thanking them both.

Too tired to walk all the way back, Swaine asked a man hauling a cart of supplies if they could get a ride... And, it was no surprise he knew Swaine as well, and asked if they wanted a ride the thief would have to capture and tame him an ulk to help pull his wagon (after the thief had tried to hi-jack his last one during an escape... it bucked him off and took off for the hills).

"Sheesh, Swaine, exactly where all did you go to pull your cons?" Esther asked as they searched the field for an ulk.

"Shut up and look for an ulk..." Swaine harshly replied.

At last they found an ulk, and Esther managed to tame it (as ulk were one of the more 'peaceful' beasts in the wild). They took it to the traveller, who kept to his promise and gave them a ride as far as Al Mamoon.

From there they walked back to Castaway Cove, giving the sailor the letter from his fiancee; in return he gave them his Ice-Sword, free of charge as he was grateful for their task; they took it to the Cawtermaster, who in exchange gave them the Wolf Claws; they walked back to Al Mamoon to give the Wolf Claws to the guard, who kept to his offer and let them have the brass cauldron, along with a cart they could use to haul it in.

By the time the week was out, Swaine finally managed to pay back the merchant he stole from. "Ah, thank you!" The merchant exclaimed. "To tell the truth, I didn't think you would go through all the trouble, and was about to send my delivery man out! He recovered this morning,"

"Good for him," Swaine groaned. "So... are we on good terms now?"

The man smiled. "Of course. ...Actually, after you left, I decided to forgive you anyway, since you were so determined to make up for what you did. But, I was not able to catch up to you, so..." the man handed them a small sack of guilders. "Here is 300 guilders for your work... Unless, there is something else you would like?"

Swaine barely heard that last part, as he was gawking. The man had already forgiven him, even if he didn't do his stupid errand?! He would have swiped the guilders from the man, using a rude comment for an exchange along with a fist to the face... but luckily Esther stepped in. "Thank you, but we just wanted to set things right. ...Isn't that correct, Swaine?" she said, giving the thief a stern look.

"...we could use the guilders," Swaine said. Esther elbowed him, and he gave her a dirty look. "BUT... I suppose I've taken enough from you. I came to make peace, that's what I did... so thank you and goodbye."

"Take care!" The man exclaimed, waving to them as they walked down the planks.

"You did the right thing, Swaine." Esther coaxed.

"I think I deserve the guilders..." Swaine muttered.

"Oh, come off it, it wasn't that bad- at least you made up for several more bad deeds, so that pretty much cut your quest in half!"

"Barely. I've still got a long ways to go... I told you, I've done a lot of rotten things, Esther."

"Well, you still did good, and I think we deserve a day or two off. C'mon, lets check into a Cat's Cradle, change into some swimsuits, and relax alright?"

"Fine..." They walked towards the Inn nearby, though the thief felt he wouldn't be able to relax until all his sins were paid off. "...I still think we should've taken the guilders."

*0*0*0*

**A/N: I decided it would be fun to put Swaine through the whole 'retrieve an item in order to get another' plot, just to add in some humor and add length to this chapter. Hopefully, their trip will be a little easier from this point on *cough*yeahright*cough***

**I also hope I got a few things right. If I made a mistake anywhere, I appreciate the constructive criticism.**

**And another shout-out to the reviewers!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Thank goodness, long names are not quite my forte; You once again serve many valid points, though as much as they care about Oliver, there could be more than skeptism, and yes he will need a good excuse to convince them; It's okay to continue a previous review, as it helps with the writing. At any rate, I hope this story will hold together and set a good impression. And I don't think you're spoiling it at all ^^

**Please review... and unless you want to do a long list of errands as well, don't flame. **


	9. Waiting

**~Chapter Nine~**

**Waiting...**

_'Day 42 of Fall_

_Castaway Cove_

_I followed the thief and his companion to Castaway Cove. From what I noticed, he's trying to pay back all the people he stole from, in order to attain their forgiveness. Anyone who forgives that criminal is a fool._

_I would have attacked him right then and there, except that we're in Castaway Cove, one of the most peaceful villages in the land. If I were to engage in a battle with him, it would no doubt draw attention... besides, I can't kill him until he gives back what he took from me. IF he still has it._

_I instead decided to keep it casual, blending in as a typical traveller until I could make my move. As I've learned in the past, it takes well thought-through tactics when it comes to thieves. I spent the whole week, watching as that thief went in-and-out of the villages, to various shops around the docks, apparently running errands and trying to make up for all he had done. _

_He and the girl have been staying at the Cat's Cradle here. I overheard them talking about plans about using a ship to sail to the Summerlands, next. The sailor, Sindbah, apparently is good friends with them..._

_I think I've finally got an idea on how to get my revenge on Swaine..._

*0*0*0*

The drifter stepped out of the swimsuit shop, dressed in a blue swim-top with a dark-red stripe, and matching bottoms with a cover-skirt. It had been a while since she came to Castaway Cove- she rarely visited unless she needed a break from her bounty-hunts, or came here to handle a matter she heard about in Swift Solutions. One reason she hardly visited such a slice of paradise was because of the Chief's rule: "Everyone, whether they're locals or visitors, must wear swimsuits." Apparently it was used to keep peace in the village, as it was hard to conceal a weapon in swimwear...

And that was the reason she hated it. She never went anywhere without her gun-blade, which was stashed in her pack back in her hotel room. How badly she wanted to shoot a blade into the back of that thief's head! ...But such thinking was irrational. She couldn't just kill him until after she got back what he took from her. Plus there was that girl... What was her name again? Hester? No, wait, it was Esther. A young girl, of possibly 13 or 14, who seemed to foolishly trust the thief.

Right now, they were both walking around Castaway Cove. Swaine was lounging by the docks, soaking his feet in the cool water, while Esther was browsing shops, buying treats for her familiars. _We'll see just how long your little friend trusts you, Swaine... _the drifter thought, mapping out her plan carefully.

They were leaving tomorrow on Sindbah's ship, the sailor agreeing to give them a lift to the Summerlands... something the girl could not understand. _From what I recall, Sindbah never allows shady characters on his ship. _she thought, looking down at the ship from one of the upper-docks, watching as the crew was loading cargo. _So why in God's name would he let a thief like Swaine aboard... perhaps because of that girl, Esther? Maybe he trusts her to keep him in line._

That thought alone made her ponder even further, remembering yesterday how Esther had managed to get Swaine to turn down a sack of guilders for his deed, even though the thief wanted so badly to accept the offer (and possibly punch the man in the face). Apparently, this girl knew Swaine quite well, as if they shared some sort of bond...

Perhaps she could use that to her advantage as well, if her first plan failed.

"Excuse me,"

The drifter turned, stepping aside as Esther walked around her to walk down the steps. She said nothing to her, just gave a nod and turned and walked away, going around a corner until she was on another deck that overlooked the ship. Esther was walking over to Sindbah, asking him how the preparations are going and thanking him once again for his help. She was quite a sweet girl...

The drifter could have retched. Sweetness always left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Hey, Swaine! I'm going back to the inn!" Esther called to her friend still lounging by the water, as she made her way back up the stairs.

"Alright," He called back, then leaned back, enjoying himself.

Little did either of them expect that this may be the only time they would ever relax again...

*0*0*0*

**A/N: What exactly is our drifter planning, and will Swaine and Esther be able to handle it? We shall see...**

**Yeah, I know this is a short chapter, but I promise there'll be longer ones in the future, especially since this is going to be a long story.**

**And more thanks for the reviewers!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Yeah, I'll be adding a little more humor into the story as it goes on; Yeah, sorry about that typo, I need to watch for that (I always have a tendency to mis-hear things); That goes without saying... but it'll be pretty fun to write about lol; Thanks again for sharing some ideas. I always appreciate the feedback!

**Reviews are welcome, constructive criticism is appreciated, and flames should die. **


	10. One Way To Start A Trip

**~Chapter Ten~**

**How To Start A Trip**

Swaine and Esther boarded the ship early the next morning... well, early in the thief's case, as he preferred to sleep in until noon, but Esther managed to get him out of bed around ten o'clock, claiming the ship would sail at eleven. Grudgingly he got up, muttering curses until he managed to get some espresso in his system- Lord knew it would take at least two or three cups of the stuff to keep him in a good mood in the mornings.

Esther shook her head after making sure Swaine was awake, ignoring the glares he gave her. You would think he would be more tolerant, since the girl had allowed him to sleep in her bedroom over a week ago! (Granted it was on the floor, and she accidentally stepped on him when she got up that morning, but still...) She knew he wasn't a morning person- once he nearly bit Oliver's head off just because the young boy woke him up at dawn, wanting to get an early start to go search for the three missing stones for Mortar, though one look at the boy's apologetic face was enough to get him to calm down, remembering the young wizard only meant well, and would have let him sleep in if the situation wasn't so important.

But, the familiar-tamer wasn't so lucky. Yes, she was quite sweet and innocent, but she and Swaine bickered so much that she couldn't snap him out of his moodiness unless she was in tears... though she hardly cried in front of Swaine, except during times when they thought they had lost Oliver. She wanted to prove she was strong, but during such a crisis she couldn't hold her tears back, but luckily Swaine was sympathetic- Oliver was like another little brother to him, after all, and losing him would feel like he was losing Marcassin... or watching his own father die all over again.

Remembering that awful experience was what kept Esther from chewing Swaine out too much. She had a father. Swaine didn't- he and Marcassin were left on their own, worst yet without each other for fifteen years! It was heartbreaking to think about, though she and Oliver promised not to bring it up. She actually felt like a heel, the more she considered it- the fact that she still had a parent to look after her, while her two friends were orphaned...

Though, it wasn't _quite_ true. They had each other now, always looking out for one another and standing up for each other as any family would. Mr. Drippy even referred to them as a family!

"Hey, are you coming or what?"

Esther blinked, snapping back to reality after letting her mind wander, seeing Swaine was walking up the gangplank onto the ship. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm coming!" she said quickly, grabbing her pack and following him.

"Sheesh, you get me up an hour ahead to get ready, and you end up being the one dawdling!"

"I wasn't dawdling! I was just thinking,"

"About what?"

"Just about how hard it is to get you up in the morning without Oliver's help."

"Pssh, alright, whatever. Lets just head out to the Summerlands,"

Esther nodded in agreement, as they headed to their own sleeping quarters, their rooms being across the hall from each other's. "What exactly did you do in the Summerlands?" she asked as they walked back up on deck.

"I met a sailor there, robbed him of 150 guilders in a poker-game."

Esther arched an eyebrow. "Did you always play cards with sailors?"

"Two or three. When I didn't feel like stealing, or felt lucky, I would try my hand at card-games with the lot, cheating when I knew I would lose. ...It was kind of funny, when I think back to it, how pissed off they were and how fast I had to run to shake 'em."

"Oy, lad! Watch the language around the young lady!" Sindbah snapped, passing by. "I know we sailors are known for cursing, but even we have manners to watch our tongues around women."

Esther giggled while Swaine cringed. "Right..." he looked at Esther after Sindbah walked away. "Though I hardly qualify you as a 'lady'."

Esther scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, I doubt you for a man, so there." she retorted.

Swaine rolled his eyes. "I'm heading back to my quarters. Wake me when we reach the Summerlands,"

"What if we get there early in the morning, Sleeping Beauty?"

Swaine gave her a glare, then smirked. "Oh, so you _do_ think I'm beautiful, eh?"

Esther blushed. "Beautiful for a swine!"

He shrugged off the insult. "Hey, I'll take the compliment." With that, he turned and walked off, leaving her seething.

_Ooh, one of these days I'm going to sick my familiars on him! _Esther thought bitterly, walking across the deck to the bow of the ship, taking in the salty-sea air, calming down a bit. _Don't let him get to you, he's just being an idiot like always. Besides, if you're going to help him on his quest, you'll have to deal with whatever he throws at you- which shouldn't be much, since he wants your help._

She walked across the decks looking out across the sea, seeing a couple familiar islands, one of them being the home of the Fairy Grounds. _We ought to pay Mr. Drippy a visit after the Summerlands. Maybe he'd like to join... perhaps he's even spoken to Oliver! It would be nice to have both of them tag along._

She paused then, looking at a barrel. For some reason, she thought she heard a *thump* inside it...

_Don't be silly, _she thought to herself. _It's probably just a rat or something. Nothing to be concerned about._

*0*0*0*

_~Meanwhile...~_

Oliver had to wait a while before Miss Leila fell asleep. When he first thought of the plan, he was eager to leave right away the night he thought about it... but instead, he decided to take a little more time, just to make sure he had all the preparations. Plus, he wanted to spend some more time with Myrtle and Phillip, let them know he was now in good-spirits.

He even saw the new family again- the two girls, who were ten and six, were playing dolls outside, while the boy, who looked to be about 15, just sat on the porch, reading. Oliver waved to him, but the boy only seemed to ignore him.

Once he was fully ready to leave, a week had passed. He took the 'farewell' note out from under his mattress, where he had hid it so Miss Leila wouldn't come across it early and confront him about it.

He kind of felt guilty on the inside- it was almost like that night he snuck out to test out the car Phillip had built, only it was different: this wasn't some juvenile act to go out and have fun. No, this was a quest to find a good home, with people he knew well and trusted.

While he had waited for her to fall asleep, he once again thought about the outcome of this, imagining how worried everyone would be, even if his letter explained he was going to be fine, that he had found a new family. For one thing, they would wonder who this new family would be- as his friends in the other would could not be seen or heard by people in this world... even if they could, that agent wouldn't exactly deem them fit to care for him, especially in a world fraught with monsters!

Perhaps it would be best if they just thought he ran away. It did sound like something they would understand- he didn't want to just go live with people he hardly knew, and he was too old to be put up for adoption anyway (unless someone _wanted_ to adopt a teenager).

Then there was the thought of living with Phillip or Myrtle's family. True, both friends would love to have him stay with them, and their parents cared much for Oliver- as well as appreciated all the help he gave them months ago! Living with them sounded like a better idea than any foster-family the agent set up!

But... something in his heart told him he needed to go back to the other world. No doubt his other friends missed him after all this time, and were probably worried because of his long absence. He promised himself he'd return to Motorville, once in a while to assure everyone he was alright... but right now, he just had to go back to the world he was introduced to- the world where he gained the strength and wisdom he needed during a time where his heart felt heavy...

The world where he belonged.

The world he could call 'home'...

It was midnight when Oliver gathered his old things, set his note on his desk, snuck out to the town square, and used Gateway...

In a flash, he found himself in a field, on a hill overlooking Ding Dong Dell- the first spot he stood when he first met Mr. Drippy, just like old times.

*rumble rumble rumble*

He turned around, hearing the sounds of hooves. "Yeow!" he exclaimed, ducking when a herd of ulk stampeded by- luckily they went around or leaped over him.

Yep. Just like old times, alright!

He panted with relief, wiping his brow. With a grip on Mornstar and the Wizard's Companion tucked under his arm, Oliver walked across the field towards Ding Dong Dell. Sure, he could just use Fast-Travel, but decided to take the scenic route, just to see what all had changed.

He stopped in the Deep Dark Woods, visiting Old Father Oak first. "Ah, what good fortune it is to see you again, young wizard!" The large tree exclaimed. "What all have you've been up to since our last encounter?"

"Not too much. I finally found time to come back and visit," Oliver replied. "There's... just been a lot going on."

"Has there? I would like to hear about it. I have more than enough time to spare,"

So Oliver told him about the agent, and how he came to this world so not to be sent away. By the time he finished, Old Father Oak only gave a soft, "Hmm..."

"Do you think I made the right choice? I know everyone will be worried..." Oliver spoke up.

"I cannot tell you what to choose, my boy. Only that, if you felt you had to come back to this world, there must be a reason behind it. But I would not fear about what awaits you in your other world, either... Life is full of surprises,"

Oliver nodded. "Speaking of surprises, I'm looking for Swaine and Esther... have you've heard anything about them?"

"Yes, I believe I did hear some talk amongst the land that they've been travelling. Last I heard, they were heading back to Al Mamoon after running an errand to Ding Dong Dell,"

Oliver grinned. "Thank you! Take care, I'll come visit you again!"

"Happy travels, young wizard!"

The young wizard couldn't help but smile as he walked- so Esther and Swaine were travelling! He couldn't help but picture the look on their faces when he caught up with them!

*0*0*0*

Swaine stood there, a panicked expression on his face. "I swear, I didn't touch them!" he stammered.

"Then how do ye explain how they got under your bed?" Sindbah sneered, as he and two other sailors stood in Swaine's room.

Esther poked her head in, hearing the commotion. "What is going on?" she asked... then noticed a varietty of objects on the floor, from knives, fruit, bandanas, and what appeared to be a lucky rabbit's foot. "Oh no... Please tell me this is just part of a card game..."

"It ain't no game, lass. Your thieving friend here just made a raid!"

"That's not true! I have no idea how any of these things got into my room!" Swaine replied, defensively. He picked up the rabbit's foot. "And why the hell would I want something like this, anyway?!"

"Hey, that thing can save your life! ...Gimme it!" One sailor snapped, swiping his lucky-charm back and stroking it.

Esther shook her head- only five hours into their voyage, and already there was trouble. "Swaine gave up thieving a long time ago, after he met Oliver and I, remember?" she told Sindbah, then pointed at the objects. "Plus, he had been asleep the whole morning- I could hear him snoring from up on deck. And besides that, he wouldn't steal anything on a ship full of people who came to trust him."

Sindbah and the sailors looked at one another, realizing she had a point. "Aye, ye'd be right, Esther... But if Swaine here didn't steal our things, how did they end up in his room?" he questioned.

Esther rubbed her chin. "Well, did you see anyone else come by here?"

"No... I was at the helm, and these two were in the hull, putting up supplies."

"So anyone could have taken these things, and threw them in my room to pin it on me," Swaine pointed out with a scoff.

"But I know my crew, not a one among them would pull such an act!"

"Then who could have done it?" Esther wondered. Truly, this was a mystery for them!

"Maybe... the ship's bewitched!" The second sailor gasped. The first one yelped and clung on to his rabbit's foot for dear life.

"Lord Almighty! I never thought of that!" Sindbah exclaimed. "Everyone, quick- tell the crew to spread salt around the deck and keep their rosario's at hand!"

"You don't really believe a ghost is haunting this ship, do you?" Esther replied, a bit nervously. She had seen ghosts before, such as one of a fallen Xanadu guard, as well as a few walking skeletons... but those had been more friendly. The only one that frightened her was Cap'n Crossbones and his crew, but they had left peacefully. Were there others?

"Don't be ridiculous. If there was a ghost, why would it focus on trying to blame me for something?" Swaine questioned.

"Spooks have a tendency to mess with everyone, lad." Sindbah replied.

"Here, you can have my rabbit's foot back if you'd like. The thing might be jinxed, anyway." The first sailor stammered, holding out his rabbit's foot to Swaine.

"There has to be a more logical explanation," Swaine sighed.

"And what would that be?" Sindbah asked.

No one had a clue. Whoever did pull an act like this without being seen or heard was either a ghost... or extremely crafty.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: *sarcastically* Gee, I wonder who it could have been! XD **

**And okay, I probably confused you guys with the part about Oliver, but I felt we needed a look at him for a moment to see what he was up to. I was going to write it to where he had just left, until I noticed a week had passed since he came up with the idea, which would cause more confusion than there probably is now, so I decided to write to where he wanted to spend a little extra time in Motorville and get things sorted and see his friends for a little bit, rather than just rushing off the minute the thought entered his head.**

**And now, the reviewer thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Apparently, sabotage comes to mind.

**Kai2: **I actually worked that into this chapter. Thanks!

**Keep on reviewing, keep on sending constructive criticism... hold back on the flames... and we'll see you in the next chapter!**


	11. Try Again

**~Chapter Eleven~**

**At First If You Don't Succeed...**

_Flippin' dammit..._

The drifter couldn't believe it- how is it that she could set up a simple-yet-flawless act of framing Swaine for thieving, but the crew end up thinking the ship is haunted? _Could be worse, I suppose... they could have figured out they have a stowaway. _she thought.

It required a lot of stealth and patience. While the sailors had been loading cargo, she kept to the shadows of the darkness of the early morning, swiping various objects off them or out of barrels, putting them in her bottomless pack. Once she had done that, she hid in a barrel half-filled with apples, keeping the top sealed tight enough so it wouldn't pop off while moving, but easy to remove when the time came.

Then she had to wait. A majority of the crew went down to the galley to eat; a couple went below deck; and just one more and the captain stayed on deck, sailing and navigating, and Esther was gazing out at the sea- Swaine was down below, sleeping she presumed. Quickly yet quietly, she popped the lid off the barrel- not too hard so it wouldn't fall and make a clatter- and slid out, ducking behind a couple crates and other barrels when she noticed the others moving, until she reached the stairs that lead to the sleeping quarters, sneaking down.

Finding out which room the thief slept in wasn't difficult- she could hear him snoring from down the hall. His door was also unlocked (how foolish he was!), and she felt this would be too easy... but that thought was what kept her cautious. Just because a task seemed simple didn't mean she could lower her guard. For all she knew, Swaine probably had a trap rigged somewhere.

She took out all the objects, stuffing them under his bed, then snuck out, hiding under the stairs in the shadows, waiting...

Four hours later, it sounded as if her task of sabotage was about to pay off, watching as Sindbah and a couple crew members went into Swaine's room to ask him if he had seen any of their missing items only to find them under his bed! ...Then, Esther came in and cleared his name, and apparently her word was good enough- she couldn't quite hear what the blonde was telling the crew, only that somehow everyone ended up throwing salt over their shoulders and carrying crosses.

_So close... _the drifter thought, clenching her fists later after everyone had left. Of course, her plan did have a flaw or two- for one thing, Swaine had hit the mattress the moment the ship started to sail, and from what she could tell he wasn't an early-morning person, so stealing things before the sun was up probably wasn't his forte (unless he happened to remain awake at that time). Then there was Esther- she should have figured that girl would clear his name!

_You have to try harder, next time. _she told herself, taking out her journal. She had been sitting in the dark long enough so her eyes were adjusted enough to see what she wrote, not that she intended to write too much anyway.

_'Day 43 of Fall_

_Out at sea_

_My attempt at pinning a crime on Swaine failed, unbelievably. It seems that girl speaks well for his character, meaning I have to figure out something more tactical- something that would change her judgement about him, and prove he's not so innocent as he's striving to be._

_As I've stated before, anyone who easily forgives that thief is a fool- and apparently, I'm surrounded by them. No wonder the idiot could cheat them so easily! ...of course, I shouldn't be one to talk... then again, only a coward would cheat a child. _

_They're heading to the Summerlands, now, to make up for another deed. Rather than waiting, I plan on using this to my advantage, and make sure no one forgives Swaine. I'll haunt him on this quest, until I get back what he took from me... and make him suffer, begging for mercy- yet the only mercy he'll have is that of death. _

_I'm hoping I'm not the only one who remembers how much harm a single act of robbery can do.'_

She put the journal away, then pulled out a babana she kept in her pack. It would be two days until they reached the Summerlands.

All she had to do was wait for her next chance.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Yeah, it appears our drifter really has it out for Swaine. What exactly did he steal that was so important, that would drive her to ruin his quest and even kill him? ...What's her name, even? Answers will come... eventually.**

**And as usual, the shout-out to the reviewers!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Yeah, I noticed it was going to be predictable once I wrote the chapter, but the questioned remained on how she could pull it off, which is how this chapter began. Considering she's basically the only culprit (so far) in the story, the mystery of who's trying to sabotage Swaine's effort of redemption is going to be more of a 'dramatic irony' (in which the reader knows, but the characters don't), up until they catch on.

**Keep it up with the reviews and constructive criticism, guys! ...But keep the flames on hold- for a million years (two tops).**


	12. Catching Up and Doing Favors

**~Chapter Twelve~**

**Catching Up and Doing Favors**

Oliver had decided to Fast-Travel to Al Mamoon once the sun started to go down, knowing it wouldn't be wise to travel in the coldness the desert offered at night, and the number of beasts that hung around. He figured he shouldn't be worried, considering he outmatched many of them before he left... but he didn't want to take any chances. Some beasts were bold enough to attack stronger opponents, and there was the thought that, due to his absence, they wouldn't sense his strength... maybe it even decreased. What a loss it would be! Having to level up all over again in order to survive!

But, considering a few creatures ran from him in the Rolling Hills, he didn't let that thought bother him- he did do plenty of mighty things and took down the toughest opponents, and still knew many spells and tactics to remind any beast of what he was capable of.

That didn't keep him from checking in at the Cat's Cradle. Luckily, he still had enough guilders stored away for a night's rest. "It's so nice to see you again! You must have a few stories about your travels, I purresume?" the Purrprietor asked.

Oliver only gave a small smile. "Not yet, but I will in time, I hope!" he replied, then went up to his room to get some rest.

The young wizard instantly relaxed the moment he lied down. How strange yet wonderful it felt to be sleeping at the Cat's Cradle, on his way to travel the world! He couldn't wait to see Swaine, Esther, and Mr. Drippy again. He had thought about going straight to the Babana Stand where Rashaad could always be found the moment he got there, but the sun was already going down, and he knew the Sage had closed up for the night. He could use a night's rest anyway, having been exploring and getting familiar with the land again.

The next morning, however, he was eager enough to head down there early as he could. Excited to see his friends again, he didn't even need coffee to wake up, running out to the street as if he heard Raj was giving away free curry.

"Rashaad!" Oliver called once he reached the stand.

The Great Sage turned, his eyes widening, and he blinked a bit to make sure he wasn't suffering from a mirage. "Oliver!" he exclaimed, shaking the boy's hand firmly once he got close. "It's been ages since I've seen you! What brings you back, at last?"

"I decided to come back and travel the world again." Oliver said- he was too happy to tell the whole truth, at the moment. "How are things going here? Where's Esther? I wanted to know if it was alright if she came with me, like old times."

Rashaad laughed. "This is quite a coincidence! I'm sorry to say that Esther isn't around at the moment... but you'll be happy to hear that she's willing to travel. She and Swaine have been wandering the world the last couple of months- last she told me, they were going back to Castaway Cove."

Oliver's eyes widened with joy. "Really? Swaine and Esther are travelling together, again? Is Mr. Drippy with them?"

"Not that I've noticed. All I know is that my daughter wished to take to exploring again, wanting to have another adventure, and Swaine invited her along. Now, as she's shared with me during their last visit, they're going from town to town, paying back all the people Swaine stole from throughout the years."

"I hope it's not a long list... What about you? What all have you've done?"

"I've been humbly tending to my babana stand. However, once in a while, I have taken to travelling myself to assure myself all is still right with our world, re-visiting nearby friends, and testing myself against various creatures in battle- those who are brave enough to face me, that is!" he rubbed his chin, recalling something. "I also heard news that Queen Cassiopeia is starting a new council, asking rulers of the Three Kingdoms and the Great Sages to join."

"Wow... are you a member of her council, Rashaad?"

"Unfortunately, I was travelling outside the city when she visited the Cowlipha about it, but I'm sure she will come by again. She went to Hamelin afterward, I was told."

"I'm glad she's doing better as queen, now... Hopefully we'll run into each other!"

Rashaad gave a warm chuckle. "I'm sure you will, Oliver. ...Give my best to Esther once you catch up with her and Swaine,"

"I will! See you again, soon!" Oliver waved farewell to him as he prepared to leave Al Mamoon, preparing another Fast-Travel spell to Castaway Cove...

"Oh my, not again!" came a voice that caught his attention. He turned to see a familiar portly man in a suit and hat, baring a pipe and looking around fretfully. "Just when I had got it back, too!"

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Oliver asked him, even though- from experience- he knew what the problem could be.

"Oh, young wizard! How nice to see you again! How have things been with you?"

"Fine... but you look worried."

"Oh, dreadfully flustered, I am! You see, I've lost my diary! I got it back over a week ago you see, a kind girl came across it and returned it. I then went to the spring outside the city, a fine, shady place to relax and cool your feet, you know. Suddenly, these monsters came at me, itching to pick a fight! So, I did what any fellow could do- run like the wind! But it appears, during my haste, I once again left my diary behind. I would go look for it myself, but I have an appointment to keep in the city."

Oliver nodded. "It's alright, I can go find it for you."

"You will? Oh, once again my boy, you deem yourself as a life-saver!"

Oliver bid farewell to the man, and started walking towards the gates of Al Mamoon. As badly as he wanted to see his friends, he couldn't decline helping someone out. What kind of Pure-Hearted One would he be if he thought of his own desires above the need of others?

"Oh, my... not again!" A woman cried. "You three! Get down right now!"

"We can't! We're stuck!" came a child's voice.

Oliver looked over, seeing that three kids were stranded upon a rooftop, their mother standing below, quite irritated and worried. He walked over, once again willing to lend a hand. He didn't really mind the delay, just as long as everyone he helped was alright, and he got to see his friends.

Besides, Swaine and Esther couldn't get into too much trouble on their own, right?

*0*0*0*

**A/N: *together with readers* Wrong! XD**

**So, yep, got the idea to keep Oliver a little busy until the right moment ;)**

**As always, review, lend some nit-picks, and keep flames away, and we'll see what our thief and familiar-tamer are up to in the next chapter!**


	13. Another Sleepover!

**~Chapter Thirteen~**

**Another Sleepover**

"One sixty-seven, one sixty-eight, one sixty-nine... one seventy," Swaine sighed, counting guilders as he sat on the floor of his room. A small dark-blue pouch with the Hamelin crest (which was the shape of a pig's snout) sewn on the front sat next to him. Marcassin had given it to him when he first started travelling, after an unfortunate (and rather embarrassing) incident where the thief mixed up his last pouch with a young boy's, which was carrying marbles- though he didn't find that out until he tried to buy some bread. The bag even had his name, 'Gascon', stitched on it in case anyone else from Hamelin had the same bag- though he wished his brother had used 'Swaine' instead, as he had told him before he no longer went by his 'prince' name, yet his brother never broke the habit.

He had been counting what was left of his money, finding he would have to go back to Hamelin to get some more guilders out of the family treasury as, once he paid the sailor back, he would have only 20 guilders left. When he travelled with Oliver, they never seemed to run out of money, as the boy kept doing so many favors for people, and they were generous enough to pay him back. But, Swaine wasn't one to perform many favors- at least, not out of kindness. Sure, one or two errands and he may have enough to get by... but after the last chain of favors he underwent, it would be a while until he felt like helping out anyone.

Esther possibly still had a full pouch of guilders, but he wouldn't dare ask her to buy him anything- the way they got along, there was the chance she'd hold it over his head, and have him do some embarrassing act or tedious favor just because 'he owed it to her'. Then again, the desert-girl wasn't the type to blackmail anyone, especially friends... but he had a feeling she would change that rule with Swaine, just to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Oliver was more trusting, always kind enough to spare some guilders or supplies for his friends. Swaine, at first, enjoyed the fact that the boy could pay for everything... but as time went on, it seemed the young wizard's generosity rubbed off on him (just a smidge, he thought), as the thief couldn't bring himself to take advantage of his friend's good nature- after all, it was more than enough he mended his broken heart!

No, he would just borrow two-or-three hundred more from the palace. Part of him wanted to take up to twenty-thousand for good measure, but he didn't want to risk an economical lecture from his younger brother, about how they had to use the money for the needs of the kingdom when it came to food, weapons, security, and healthcare. He wasn't greedy- he actually cared a lot about the kingdom, having gone back after 15 years when he learned it was going through some trouble, just to talk to his brother and set things right. He just believed the kingdom had enough money for supplies for their citizens and spending for themselves- just so long as they kept it all balanced, as Marcassin would want.

_Should've accepted that 300 guilders from the merchant, _Swaine griped in his head. _Why did Esther have to say otherwise? I worked my ass off to pay that guy back, she barely did anything! ...okay, she tamed an ulk, and paid for a couple rooms at the Cat's Cradle three times, but I'm the one who had to retrieve everything for everyone! _He groaned, leaning against the bed. _All this, just because I wanted to go off on my own and do something with my life, so my dad would be proud of me for once..._

That last thought made him tense a little. It had been a while since he thought of his father, the former Emperor of Hamelin. He tried not to, the memory of going back in time and seeing him die making his heart heavy with sorrow... to make it harder, his father had admitted his sons would _both_ make him proud...

Not knowing his oldest had become a thief...

_Yeah, I'll bet he's real proud... _Swaine thought bitterly. _Marcassin went on to be a Great Sage and wise ruler, and I'm a thief running around begging others for their forgiveness..._

He shook his head, not wanting to think about it anymore. He was already on his way with his quest, and they would be reaching the Summerlands in the morning. He couldn't just quit... even if some people wouldn't forgive him, he had to keep at it and try.

And there _were_ some who wouldn't ever forgive him, not after...

The thief sighed heavily, scooping the guilders back into the pouch and sticking it on an inside-pocket of his jacket, blowing out the lantern hanging on the wall and lying down in bed, staring up at the ceiling, clearing his head of all thoughts as he drifted to sleep.

*0*0*0*

_*Thunk*_

Esther looked up from her book. After the incident that day, she wasn't planning on going to sleep anytime soon, and kept herself occupied by reading _The Prince and the Lion. _She was nearly finished it when she heard a sound outside her door, outside of the creaking of the ship and rush of the waves.

"Hmm? Is someone there?" she said mostly to herself. Setting the book down, she quietly walked over to the door, slowly twisting the knob and opening it a crack. She didn't see anyone...

But Swaine's door was open a crack.

Cautiously, she summoned Gogo, heading across the hall and looking into his room. It was dark, the only light coming from a moonlit glow from the window, no sign of trouble... but she stepped into the room anyway, to inspect every corner, having Gogo stand guard. _You'd think, after what happened today, he'd have kept his door locked! _Esther thought critically. She got down to look under the bed, seeing nothing, then stood up...

"GAHHH!"

"AUGH!" Esther screamed, jumping back while Gogo leaped to her side, his spear raised. She looked up at the startled young man in the bed, breathing heavily. "Geez, Swaine, don't do that! You scared me!"

"_I _scared _YOU_?!" Swaine questioned, getting up from his bed and standing before the familiar-tamer. "I'm not the one sneaking around and giving people heart-attacks! What the hell are you doing in my room?!"

"For your information, I heard a noise outside the hall, and saw that your door was open! I came in to make sure everything was alright,"

Swaine grunted. "You could have woke me, rather than snoop in,"

"I wasn't snooping! Besides, considering you're such a pill in the mornings, waking you in the middle of the night would be no different. ...A-And I would have woken you if there was something wrong," It was a half-lie, as Esther didn't want to confess the thought of waking Swaine to warn him didn't cross her mind. "And why didn't you lock your door? You should be more cautious!"

Swaine blinked, his mind slowly reprogressing what he was told, once his initial grouchiness faded. "I did lock it... You said it was open?"

"Yes..." Esther walked over to the door, looking at the lock on the handle as Swaine lit the lantern on the wall so they could have some better light to see. "Do you suppose someone could have picked it?"

Swaine rubbed his chin. "They would have to be quiet about it. The only time anyone could unlock something without causing much of a ruckus was when Oliver would use his Spring Lock spell." he paused, listening to the waves crash against the ship, hearing the wind blow as the ship creaked. "Unless they timed it with every sound,"

_Or you're just denying you didn't lock your door. _Esther wanted to say, but was too creeped out. If Swaine had locked his door, how could anyone pick the lock without being heard? Even if the thief hadn't heard it, she certainly would have considering her room was right across the hall... so who- or what- could have done it? Even Gogo was tensing up, waddling around the room, his spear tight in his grasp. Something wasn't right...

"Nothing's been stolen or messed with," Swaine said, breaking her out of her thoughts, as he checked his jacket, which was folded at the end of his bed. "And nothing has been shoved under my bed, this time."

"Strange..." Esther replied. She wanted to believe that the intruder could have taken off after hearing her coming, but she would have seen or heard something.

There were footsteps, and a sailor came in with a lantern. "I thought I heard screaming. Is everything alright, here?" he asked.

"Someone unlocked Swaine's door," Esther shifted, while Gogo gave a 'quack'. "But nothing's out of place, and we didn't hear anything."

The sailor tensed. "Definitely the work of a ghost. Best if you sprinkle some salt around the room," he then held up a bottle of salt! "And carve a cross on your doors, too."

"You really are superstitious, aren't you?" Swaine questioned.

"You'd be surprised what can ward off evil spirits, Swaine. I'm going back on deck- methinks this room might be jinxed." With that, he left.

Swaine shook his head, while Esther drew Gogo back in as her familiar was starting to feel worn out from being out too long. "I think he might have a point," Esther said.

"Don't tell me you're getting spooked, too!" Swaine scoffed, looking at her in disbelief.

"No, but... you'd think, if there were a ghost, it wouldn't just stick to one room, right? I think someone, or something, is targetting your room... maybe just you."

He crossed his arms. "If you're trying to scare me, save your breath. ...Besides, I already had the idea someone's out to get me- I think the sailors are just pulling some sort of joke."

"But we would have heard or seen them..." The ship gave a creak, making her tense. "Why don't we share a room, just in case something is going on?"

Swaine smirked. "Afraid, are we?"

Esther grimaced. "No! I just think it would be a good idea if we stuck together, until we figure out what's going on. Gather your things and come to my room,"

"Alright. ...You've been asking me to share a room with you quite a bit, haven't you?"

She gave him a glare. "On second thought, I think I'll just let the 'ghost' handle you."

"Pssh, someone's lost their humor." Swaine grabbed his jacket and pack, walking across the hall. "Well, c'mon, lets get some sleep. We can talk more about your fear of the boogeyman tomorrow,"

Esther shook her head. Why was she bothering to help Swaine out, again?

They walked into her room, Swaine throwing down a pillow and using the blanket from his bed to lie on the floor so he would have something soft to lie on, on the hard, wooden floor. He lied on his back, while Esther dimmed her lantern- she dared not put it completely out, in case there was another intrusion.

She began to lie in her own bed, until she looked down at Swaine, watching as he shifted a bit to find a comfortable position, with no prevail. "Here," she sighed, unable to handle seeing him so uncomfortable. "You can sleep in my bed,"

"I'm fine down here," Swaine muttered, not wanting any pity.

"I insist, unless you want to wake up with a stiff back."

"I could just go back to my room..."

"Not if someone- or something- keeps lurking around it."

He once again gave her a sly look. "Why do I get the feeling you just want me to stay?"

Esther's face turned red. "Why do you always have to make a smart-remark every time I try to be nice? It's like you're not used to kindness!"

His sly grin faded, and he turned and looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe."

She paused, studying him. She forgot he was a thief- and before she and Oliver came along, he had been on his own, becoming heart-broekn over time... After all, not many people showed thieves any kindness, did they? Or maybe he was just referring to her- he was used to Oliver being the nice one, but she was always arguing with him. For the past six months, that's basically what a majority of their travels had included- bickering, if not battling monsters.

"I'm sorry," Esther said at last, sighing. "Just go ahead and climb in my bed, I don't mind."

Swaine looked at her. "And where are you going to sleep?" he questioned.

"I can take the floor... It's only fair, right? I made you sleep on the floor back in my home,"

The thief shook his head. "I don't think I'd sleep well, knowing a young girl was sleeping on a cold floor." he sat up, resting his arms on his knees. "Tell you what, since you're so insistent tonight, why don't we compromise? We can share the bed."

Esther only stared at him. Surely Swaine, the thief who could barely stand her and vice-versa, didn't just suggest that! _Is this some sort of kafka dream? _Esther wondered, as she felt she was going delusional. ...Maybe that was the reason behind his suggestion- he had been woken in the middle of the night, and the lack of sleep was taking a toll on his brain.

When she didn't reply for a minute or so, he shrugged. "It was only an idea." he walked over to the bed, lying down on it. "But, if you insist... Goodnight."

Esther rolled her eyes. Of course the thief was just messing with her! She lied down on the floor with the pillow and blanket, shutting her eyes, trying to get some sleep... but with the creaking of the ship, the hard floor, and the thought that some stranger was sneaking around, sleep was impossible to come by. She curled up tight, forcing herself to get comfortable, trying to keep out thoughts of ghosts haunting the ship...

All chances died the moment the lantern died out, having run out of wick. _Great... just great... _she thought, shutting her eyes tight, shivering as she noticed how cold the room really was.

*0*0*0*

_This is ridiculous. _Swaine thought as he watched Esther, having been curious to see how well she'd handle sleeping on the floor. What he didn't tell her was that, during his travels, he was used to sleeping on stiff surfaces, so a hard wooden floor didn't bother him all that much- if he had, he wouldn't have the offer of sleeping in the bed!

But, he was honest when he told her he couldn't deal with having her sleep on the floor, especially seeing her curl up tight, shivering. He pulled himself out of bed and walked over, grabbing the two left corners of the blanket she was on and pulled it over her shoulders.

"Swaine? What..." She gasped.

"Hold on." He interrupted, then scooped her up in his arms, and felt her freeze in shock. He knew she wouldn't just switch places with him, and would keep insisting she was fine... so he would just skip the arguing and make her lie in the bed, lying her down carefully on one side. "There. You can have that side, and I'll take this side."

She gawked at him. "Swaine...!"

"Listen, I don't want to argue about this. I'm tired, and still have a lot to do on this trip. Neither of us are going to sleep on the floor, and I'll agree it would be a good idea to stick together if there's some creep walking around. The bed is big enough, we have our own blankets, there's nothing to bicker about." He waited for a response, but she just looked at him, as if she were trying to figure out what to say without hurting his feelings. "*Sigh* If being too close to me bothers you, just say so. I can deal with the floor."

"I, uh..." Esther said, quietly. "Thank you." she lied down, her back to him.

He lied down next to her, sighing. _Glad that's settled. _he thought, looking up at the ceiling.

Swaine was halfway asleep when he felt movement next to him, and noticed Esther drowsily turned in her sleep, facing him now, and draped an arm over his abdomen. He lied there still, blinking while comprehending the position he was in... and how the heck he even got himself in it. _Dammit... I think I'm growing delusional... _he thought. He shut his eyes, knowing he needed some sleep if he wanted to stay in his right mind throughout this quest.

As he drifted to sleep, he noticed his arm draped around Esther's shoulders, while his other arm covered her arm on his abdomen. It was a position he didn't want to be in right now, but with all that had happened on this ship, and how late it was, he was too tired to care.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Oh my gosh, guys, I swear this was supposed to be a chapter that featured the drifter pulling off a scheme, but somehow it turned into a fluff-chapter! Don't shoot me, I couldn't resist! Writing a fluff about these too sounded too good to pass up!**

**...I think the only thing better will be the reaction when they wake up the next morning... XD**

**Well, hope you guys enjoyed it, because it will probably be the only tender-moment we'll see in the story for a while.**

**Now here's the Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Thank you. Yeah, sometimes I include a dash after 're', kind of a habit :P Appreciate the nit-pick, though!

**Please review, keep up the nit-picks, but please don't flame me. (Swaine, Esther, that goes for you, too). **


	14. Patience

**~Chapter Fourteen~**

**Patience**

_*Thunk*_

_Dammit! _The drifter thought, having been on her way out of Swaine's room, when she dropped her pocket knife. She scooped it up, ducking back underneath the stairs when she heard movement coming from Esther's room. She held her breath, watching as the girl summoned what appeared to be a newly-evolved Strongo and walked into the thief's room.

She stuck her pocket-knife back in her pant-leg pocket. She had been using a special lock-pick tool on it on the door- it was made of a shadow-fiber material to keep it quiet, but was firm enough to handle any tumblers. If it were a regular, metal lock-pick, there would be more rattling than there was with this tool. She learned this early in her travels when she was trying to bust open a discarded chest, without waking a heard of ulk... she failed, and had to run to avoid getting trampled in a stampede. Luckily she came across the pocket-knife on the Black Market, trading a rare knife for it, which came from a fallen city... though it had little importance to her, what with it belonging to her father, first.

The pocket-knife had a number of usefull tools: the shadow pick-lock, an electric blade, and a two-way mini-drill. She only used it for tasks requiring stealth, back-up defense, or if she needed to open a can of soup.

There was screaming, coming from Swaine and Esther, followed by what she figured was arguing; a sailor came moments later to check on them, leaving once he believed they were okay; and finally Swaine walked over to Esther's room, apparently both of them bunking together for the night after some talk about someone targetting Swaine.

_They must be catching on, _the drifter thought. _Took them long enough. For a thief, that idiot doesn't really figure out when he's being stalked. _

She took another look around, making sure no one else was around, then snuck over to Swaine's empty room. Since it was vacant, she decided she would rest in there- the crew was probably avoiding it because they thought it was jinxed, and she could escape out the porthole once they docked. Plus, she needed to sleep on a real bed- sleeping in a corner underneath some tarp beneath the stairs wasn't exactly comfy, and her back was starting to feel stiff. She locked the door, and lied down on the bed, letting out a sigh, shutting her eyes and falling asleep...

*0*0*0*

_She ran through the streets, seeing all the homes and shops in the city ablaze in a fiery invasion. "Mama! Papa!" she screamed, following two people. "What are we going to do?"_

_"Leave the city... there's nothing we can do for it now," A man told her, his face silhouetted against the burning glow of the fire. "Our only hope for protection is gone. All we can do now is get out, and pray to God there's one city free of corruption!"_

_They continued to run until they made it out. There was cackling, and the little girl looked up, seeing a cloaked figure with clawed hands and long red hair, holding a staff, cackling. 'Yes, run child... expose yourself to the cruelty of this world...' he said, his voice raspy and dark._

_"S... Shadar...!" She gasped, freezing in horror._

_"Come, child!" A woman, her mother, snapped as she grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her away, towards the mountains. The girl looked back, but the Dark Djinn was gone._

*0*0*0*

The drifter awoke, having only been asleep four hours until the nightmare striked, disturbing her sleep. _Damn visions... why can't they just leave my head? _she thought bitterly. It was like every night she had some terrifying dream, as if fate wanted her to be deprived of sleep, or wanted her to wake up at the right moment.

She looked out the window, seeing the sun was beginning to rise, and heard footsteps running about on deck, meaning the ship would be reaching port. She grabbed her pack, opening the window and poking her head out, seeing the docks were coming up quick.

She made sure she had everything, then latched her pack tight, kept her gun-blade tight in its holster, and pulled on her sandals. She then climbed through the window, diving into the ocean with a *splash* once the docks were close, then swam underwater, getting behind the ship to avoid being spotted by any suspicious sailors who would have heard, then- once the vessel was docked- swam underneath to the docks, surfacing under the deck then climbing up a ladder, getting a curious look from a local fisherman. "What?" she scoffed. "Never seen a girl come out from a swim?"

She walked across the deck, sitting down on a crate as she checked her supplies- thank God her pack was water-proof- and pulled out a bottle of iced coffee. She looked ahead at the ship, smirking as she did, waiting for her next act of sabotage to take place.

_Swaine, you are in for a horrible surprise... _she thought, taking a casual sip of her drink.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Am I trying too hard to make my OC a complete ninja-genius, or does it just sound like she's just lucky? Be honest. **

**Also, we got somewhat of a glimpse of her backstory, but I'm not saying just how it all connects just yet- wanting to drag out the mystery, here.**

**And now, for the Reviewer Thanks!**

**Titanicspaz: **I can't wait to write their reactions XD Glad you liked it!

**Mike AZ 2: **Yeah, I wish they would have mentioned their ages, but I also believe she's too young for him (once reason why I may just stick to fluff-shots... unless I can get away with an excuse that Esther's just short for her age); I can see an Oliver/Myrtle pairing happening, but I may save that for another story ;)

**Keep it up with the reviews and nit-picks, guys... I have to mention I'm nearly done with the walkthroughs and learned a few facts such as *spoilers here* Oliver gained a new wand, Astra. (What he does with Mornstar I don't know- I have no idea what he does with all the wands he gets, you think he just hangs on to them or gives them to allies? Hard to say, I'll be finishing the walkthroughs this weekend so hopefully I'll have all the information I need).**

**...Oh, and don't flame!**


	15. Thief!

**~Chapter Fifteen~**

**Thief!**

It was a calm, quiet morning as the sailors tied down the ship. "I thought I heard a splash off the port side, but didn't see a thing," one of them said, looking over the railing.

"Must've been some sea-beast splashing about," another replied.

The sailors worked, preparing to take to the port and take a break from the ship for a while...

Down below was another story, however.

Swaine, surprisingly, was the first to awake from his sleep...

*THUD*

...though almost anyone would, after getting pushed out of bed. "Ugh... the hell...?" the thief muttered, groggily sitting up on his knees, rubbing his head.

By this time, Esther was stirring from her sleep, hearing the 'thud'. "Zzz... wha...?" she yawned, turning in his direction.

Both of their gazes were still squinting, slowly adjusting to the morning light. "Oh. Hey," Swaine yawned.

"'Morning..." Esther replied, sleepily. Neither of them seemed to phased about the situation.

After 3 seconds after their minds kicked into full gear, though...

"WAUGH!" Both of them yelped, Esther immediately sitting up while Swaine shot to his feet, both of them staring in shock at each other and trying to recall what in the world was going on. They took deep breaths, slowly remembering the events of last night.

"What... why did you push me out of bed?!" Swaine demanded.

"It was an accident! ...Which could have been avoided if you didn't drag me into it last night!" Esther remarked.

"Oh, pardon ME for keeping you from freezing on the ground! And you have no room to talk- it was YOUR idea to share a room!"

"Excuse ME for not wanting you to get hurt by whoever-or-whatever was creeping around! Maybe next time I'll just have you fend for yourself!"

"Heh, I can manage on my own... Surprised that you care so much to want to keep me safe, I should bring up."

Esther blushed furiously. "If you can 'manage on your own', then you can continue this quest by yourself!"

"Fine, I'll have fun by myself," Swaine walked towards the door, Esther following.

"Oy, lad! There ye are!" Sindbah exclaimed, standing in the hall. "I was about to knock on your door and tell ye we've arrived, but I see the both of you are already up! ...What were you doing in Esther's room, anyway?"

Swaine and Esther exchanged a glance that said the same thing: _Don't say a word!_

"Uh, just checking on Esther," Swaine answered first, slyly. "She was a little shaken up after last night, so I decided to see if she was alright."

Esther put her hands on her hips, giving him a glare.

"Ah, yes, I heard talk there was something queer going on..." Sindbah turned the handle on Swaine's door, only to find it locked. "Do ye have the key?"

Swaine blinked, taking out his room key. "I didn't lock it last night..." he said, stunned.

They looked into the room, seeing the window was open. "The window wasn't open last night either... was it?" Esther gasped.

Swaine shook his head. "No..."

"Hmm... Well, it's official. There's no ghost." Sindbah declared.

"Huh?" Swaine and Esther responded.

"Aye, these acts may be spooky... but given the evidence, I don't think it's a ghost problem. I've seen tricks like this before- just the acts of a stowaway... and a clever one at that."

"And you figured it out just like that?" Swaine questioned.

"Oh, once you put the pieces together, it's quite obvious. First, some of our possessions end up in your room, mysteriously; then someone has tried to break into your room; and now, after you leave your room to check on Esther, some snook sneaks in there, locks the door, and dives out the window. ...which would explain the splash we heard earlier this morning." he rubbed his chin, pondering. "Of course, there is a flaw in that theory- if you were just now checking on Esther, how could the thief have been in the room and locked the door and dive out without making a splash?"

"Um, well... he's been in my room all morning," Esther spoke up, sheepishly.

"Yes, I was, um, helping her... get over a nightmare." Swaine added quickly. "About the ghost."

"Ah, that solves that then... but one question still remains," Sindbah replied.

"What is it?"

"Why the blue blazes were ye two screaming this morning?"

"Oh! Um... a rat crawled up Swaine's pantleg." Esther replied quickly, earning a glare from Swaine. "We managed to get it out."

"Heh, that tends to happen once in a while, only when a sailor keeps food in his pockets. ...Well, enough chit-chat! We've arrived in the Summerlands and the day's upon us! Best ye get what ye need to get done while the sun is up! Kublai's pirates like to hang around after dark on the docks,"

Esther and Swaine nodded, even though they had nothing to fear with the pirates. Since the defeat of the White Witch, there had been peace amongst all the lands, and they were on very good terms with Kublai. But, since they were on their territory, it would be wise to be careful, so not to get ambushed for trespassing (by accident).

They walked towards the stairs, Sindbah ahead of them.

"We're never to speak of last night, got it?" Esther whispered.

"Already taking it to my grave," Swaine answered.

They walked off the ship, heading down the docks, when Esther stopped him. "How come you had to set me up as a victim back there?"

"What do you mean?"

"'Checking up on me', saying I 'had a nightmare'? Really?!"

"You said there was a rat in my pants! I think we're even!"

"I wouldn't have, if you didn't make me sound so pathetic..."

"Hey, I had to say something, didn't I? ...Would you rather have had me tell him you invited me into your room? I bet the sailors would have fun with that story!"

"You could have said you were checking on me, to make sure no one broke into my room... not saying I was acting like a scared child!"

"You pretty much were, last night! Why else would you want me to stay in your room?"

"Because I was worried about you! Is it so hard to believe that a friend actually gives a damn about your well-being?!"

Swaine paused, having expecting her to make up some excuse- he never heard Esther curse before, either! "Easy, Esther... I was just joking,"

Esther shook her head. "Well, I'm through joking. You go ahead and go find that sailor you need to pay back, I'm taking a walk,"

He sneered, watching as she stormed off. "Alright, go ahead! Be like that! I don't need your help with this, anyway!" With that, he walked in a different direction.

Esther took in a deep breath, walking until she was far away from the ship, let alone Swaine, and sat down on a rock, putting her face in her hands. _Stupid thief... _she thought.

It wasn't like she and Swaine hadn't argued like this before- they had actually bickered about worse things. Sometimes, though, it got to be too much, and she just needed to get away from him to clear her head and get her emotions under control. She had admitted to caring about the thief, but he didn't really seem too phased- surprised for a moment, but it quickly faded. Maybe he just didn't believe her...

That thought got her worked up the most. _I'd better go talk to him. _she thought, standing up and walking back towards the port. It was better to make amends quick, rather than continue through their trip, bitterly.

It was what Oliver would want them to do.

*0*0*0*

_~Meanwhile...~_

2500 guilders, five babanas, some sea-salt ice-cream, and a Sundrop stone were quite rewarding for the tasks Oliver took care of before he left Al Mamoon. One errand after another kept happening- he helped the three kids off the roof, got some spices for Raj, found the traveller's diary, and returned a woman's lost wedding ring, leaving him feeling quite wiped out and in need of some rest at the Cat's Cradle.

That morning, he managed to get to Castaway Cove, coming across a familiar merchant who spotted him immediately. "Oliver! Is that you? Is it possible that our Pure-Hearted One has returned?" he exclaimed.

Oliver walked over, smiling. "Hello again, it's been a while since I've seen you... uh..." Oliver began, but paused as he didn't quite recall the man's name. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Oh, you may call me Hadib. Tell me, great wizard, what brings you back to our world, after so long?"

Oliver shrugged. "I... just missed being here, and wanted to see how everything is going."

"Ah, everything in the world is fine! Still a few thieves and such, but the lands have been as peaceful as they were since you've left. ...Oh! Speaking of thieves, I had an encounter with your thief-friend, Swaine- the one who stole your magic cauldron from me, remember?"

The young wizard grinned. "How could I forget? What is he up to, do you know?"

"It is quite surprising- he came here, asking to make up for stealing from me. Went through all the trouble to take care of an errand I had him do, just to earn my forgiveness- of course, I forgave him once I saw how serious he was to make up for his crime, and offered to pay him back, but he refused! I thought I was dreaming!"

"Well, I'm glad you're both on good terms now... Do you happen to know where he and Esther are?"

Hadib nodded. "The last I heard, they took a ship out to sea with Sindbah. I'm afraid I don't know where they're going, but perhaps a few sailors may know."

"Okay, thank you!" Oliver then took off, heading down to the docks, eager to see his friends... and happy to know Swaine was accomplishing well with his goal! He couldn't wait to see them and catch up...

"Oh no..." came a whimper, and he turned, seeing a little girl looking over the edge of a deck, at the water. "Mother is going to be furious!"

The young wizard paused, turning his attention to her. "What's the matter?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I was sent to pick up my mother's locket from the jeweler's, but I accidentally dropped it in the water! It's down deep at the bottom, and I don't know how to swim!"

"Well, here, I can help you out. Just let me go change into my swimsuit."

"Really? You'll help? Oh, thank you so much!"

Oliver gave a nod and a smile. Helping out one more person wouldn't delay him too much, would it?

*0*0*0*

Swaine walked back towards the docks, his hands casually folded behind his head. Luck was on his side that morning, for he had found the sailor he was looking for- as fate would have it, said sailor and his crew had stopped in the Summerlands for supplies, and the thief had caught up to him just as they were preparing to set off.

The task went easier than he expected- for one thing, the sailor didn't ask him to do any outrageous favors and kindly accepted the guilders, forgiving Swaine easily as he claimed he recalled being a kid himself, and was happy to know that some stranger went out of his way to pay back what he stole from him years ago.

He walked back towards the ship, trying to decide whether or not to eat a late breakfast in the galley, since he was in a hurry to find the sailor and get his deed done; or take a nap until afternoon, as he didn't get enough sleep last night- all because Esther was worried something might happen to him. Thinking about it made him feel a twinge of guilt for their quarrel that morning- after all, Esther was one of few people who cared about his well-being. Besides Marcassin and Oliver, she was the only one he could put his trust in, and he spent most of his time with her arguing.

He figured it would get better as time went by, but it had already been half a year. Perhaps bickering every so often was their way of getting along- it wasn't as if they would intentionally hurt each other. No, ever since he joined their group, it was the opposite: he grew a bond with both the wizard and familiar-tamer that gave him the instinct to try and protect them, being with them through every battle until the bitter-end until they succeeded.

Of course, he didn't give him too much credit in the task of 'watching the kids'. For one thing, they knew well how to manage on their own, having taken on his Nightmare and mending his broken heart, as well as hundreds of others, and managing to take on any kind of monster. They were a good team, it was more like it, using their own skills throughout their journey to benefit one another...

Another reason why he didn't think too highly of being a guardian, was after their encounters with Vileheart... when Oliver suddenly passed out after learning Alicia was his mother all along, being unconcious for days, and no one knew how to help him- Swaine himself felt like a louse, going off at times and wondering exactly what use he was for the young wizard; then the second time, when Vileheart attacked, he and Esther had to battle him on their own, and he did everything he could to both avenge Oliver and make sure he didn't lose another friend... If Oliver hadn't come back, they would have little to no chance.

But, no matter whether he felt useful or not, he still stuck by their side, to make sure they all succeeded throughout their adventure... and ironically, despite all the danger and despair, he really missed it- fighting alongside both of them. He should have felt glad Esther decided to come along with him, despite they seldom got along...

"Swaine,"

He turned around, seeing Esther coming up to him. _Speak of the devil, _he thought, giving a small grin.

"I've been looking for you... did you find the sailor?" Esther asked.

"Yeah, we're on good terms now," Swaine answered, sitting down. "What have you've been up to?"

Esther shifted. "I... I wanted to apologize for this morning. For storming off on you..."

"Hey, it's all right... You've done worse. Remember that incident three months back, the situation with the frying-pan?"

She held back a chuckle, trying to keep serious. Three months ago, they were camping in the desert, and Esther had tried a knack at cooking with a frying pan- Swaine made a comment after she burned their meal, and while in an attempt to turn sharply and tell him off, she accidentally swung the frying pan (which was slightly heavy) and smacked him across the face! ...The fire had gone out by the time he stopped chasing her around the dunes.

"That was an accident... which could have been avoided if you didn't insult my cooking," Esther replied.

"If you could call it cooking... But, yes, I forgive you. Lets just put matters aside, alright?" Swaine replied, stretching a bit. "We've still got a long list of people I need to make up with, so we might as well put our bickering on hiatus for the time being,"

Esther nodded- she wanted to bring up Swaine should ask for her forgiveness for his comments that morning, too, but decided not to spoil the pleasant mood he was in now... especially since he turned down the opportunity to start a new argument, which was a rare case! Besides, she forgave him inside, there was no need for him to ask.

"Yes, lets get back on the ship. Sindbah and his crew may be ready to set sail again," Esther replied.

"Right, and I plan on taking a long nap to Autumnia, before anything else goes wrong..." Swaine said with a chuckle.

"Stop!" came a shout, and they looked, seeing a sailor with a black beard, wearing a dark-green vest and baggy brown pants and red bandana running towards them.

Swaine sighed. "(Spoke too soon) ...What is it, Miguel?"

The sailor, Miguel, pointed an accusing finger at Swaine. "You! You thought you could cheat me again, didn't you? You think earning someone's trust is a joke, do you?!" he shouted.

"What do you mean?" Esther asked, as Sindbah and a couple of his crewmates walked over, hearing the commotion.

"I'll tell you what I mean..." The sailor pulled out a dark-red pouch, holding it upside-down and letting guilders fall on the deck... but, at a closer look, they weren't actual guilders, but play-tokens with pictures of familiars on them. "Your friend tried to pay me back with fake-guilders!"

"What?!/Huh?/Swaine?" Sindbah, Swaine, and Esther all gasped, the latter staring at the thief.

"I swear, the money I gave you was real!" Swaine stammered, pulling out his own dark-blue pouch. "I stuck 150 of my own guilders into that pouch for you, to pay... you... wait a minute..." he paused, looking inside his own pouch, reaching in and pulling out a handlful of guilders, all fake. "What the hell?!"

"So you did cheat me!" Miguel snarled. "I ought to do what I should have done a long time ago the first time, and tied you to the anchor and drowned you at sea!"

"Watch your tongue, ye swab!" Sindbah snapped, stepping up. "I can vouch for Swaine's character- he's turned a new leaf, saw it myself when The Pure-Hearted One mended his broken-heart and changed him of his thieving ways! ...It appears our stowaway may have switched our friend's money with fake-guilders before they jumped-ship."

Esther slapped her forehead. "Of course! That makes more sense," she replied with relief.

"What stowaway?" Miguel questioned.

"We'll explain later. Right now, go back to your ship and make sure no suspicious characters are trying to hitch a ride," Sindbah replied. "My men and I will be searching our ship- spread the word to the other sailors. We've got another thief in our mist,"

Miguel nodded and took off, and the sailors got to work searching for the stowaway. Swaine and Esther decided to search around the port. "One thing I don't understand... why is this stowaway targetting you?" she asked. "Haunting your room, taking your money..."

"I don't know... but you can bet that, once we catch 'em, they're gonna wish they picked a different target," Swaine replied bitterly.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: I really wanted to continue the chapter, but I felt it was running long and it's getting late. Plus, I have to get a gift ready for my mom for Mother's Day, so... next chapter will continue from here!**

**Also, as I write about Swaine paying back all these favors, I can't help but think about that sitcom _My Name Is Earl... _Anyone else find that weird?**

**And here's the Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Once again, you make valid points (I already figured Esther and Swaine wouldn't use wands), I may include something in the story about that too; Glad you approve of my OC so far, lets hope she stays that way.

**Please review. I accept constructive criticism... but don't flame. **


	16. The Encounter

**~Chapter Sixteen~**

**The Encounter**

_Gotta make it to the hills, _The drifter thought as she ran. She had made a getaway the moment she saw Swaine and Esther split up, after hearing their argument. Apparently, the girl cared more about the thief than she realized- and considering her plan to turn everyone against Swaine wasn't going well, she had a feeling the girl would once again stick up for his character. _Framing him isn't enough. Dammit, I must be the only one who sucks at pinning the blame on a thief!_

She paused, seeing a pirate-flag on one hill. She cursed, knowing she had entered Kublai's territory- hopefully she had a little luck, and the Sky Pirate was out on a raid or something. She turned, going back downhill to look for a different path.

There wasn't exactly any reason for her to run- no one suspected her of stealing Swaine's guilders and swapping them with fake ones, but as lousy as her luck was, something always went wrong. They were already on to her, no doubt, and there was the chance that the other sailors wouldn't recognize her as another sailor or native and put two-and-two together.

She stopped to catch her breath, sitting down on a rock and looking around. She took the bag of guilders out of her pocket, looking at the dark-blue pouch with the word 'Gascon' sewn on one side. _Gascon, huh? ...Swaine must've snatched this off some guy in Hamelin. _she figured, looking at the pig-snout crest. _I could return it to him and get a good reward out of it._

"HEY!"

She jumped, looking over, her eyes widening in horror.

Swaine was running right towards her- and had a pissed-off expression.

_Time to run! _the drifter told herself, and shot off for the hills.

*0*0*0*

Swaine and Esther had decided to check around the hills, maybe see if any of Kublai's crew-mates were hanging around on watch and noticed anything.

When they went around one side of a hill, they didn't need to ask any questions, after spotting the girl. "Swaine, look! Isn't that your pouch?" Esther whispered, pointing over.

Swaine looked, seeing the pouch with the crest on it. "It must be," He said, then started to run over, calling to the girl. "HEY!"

"...way to keep it subtle," Esther sighed, but ran with him as he took off after the stranger, who had broken into a sprint. Clearly, she was the culprit.

They were gaining on her, managing to corner her at some cliffs, which she tried to climb up. She wasn't quick enough, as Swaine ran up and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her down. "Who-" he began to question.

*BAM!*

The girl turned quick, punching him in the face, forcing him to stumble back. Esther gasped and approached the girl. "Hey!" she snapped. "What's the big idea?!"

"Stay back," The girl snarled, taking out a gun, which seemed to be loaded with blades. "One more move, and you'll have a few extra piercings!"

Esther glared. "Who are you?! Why did you steal from my friend?!"

"What makes you think I did? How do I know you two aren't a couple thugs after me?"

Swaine, who had been standing off to the side, holding a bleeding nose, slowly reached into his pocket.

"You stole his bag of guilders, for one thing! And you've been stalking us, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just found this bag lying around- and next thing I know, that bastard is coming after me, you in tow!" she cocked her gun-blade. "And I'm warning you, back off now, before-"

*Bang!*

*Cling!*

Swaine had taken out his revolver, shooting the hook and snatching the gun-blade out of the girl's hand. "Before what?" he sneered. "Not so tough without your weapon, are you?"

The girl scowled. "Don't think I'm that defenseless..." she snapped, then summoned a familiar- a rhinosaur. "Ghibli, attack!"

Esther quickly summoned Gogo while Swaine summoned Gunther, their familiars ganging up on the rhinosaur. As the familiars fought, the girl ran to the cliffs, leaping up to a ledge and jumping/flipping over Swaine, kicking her gun out of his hand. He turned sharply, only to get kicked in the stomach. Esther ran over to help him, but the girl turned and elbowed her in the face, then swung a punch at Swaine, who dodged this time and swung a right-hook, managing to make contact with the girl's jaw.

It didn't stop her, as she only shook it off and shot her gun, a blade making a gash in his sleeve. He took out his Rogue's Revolver, and shot back at her, quickly stepping in front of Esther and motioning her to get behind a rock for cover, as he and the stranger both shot bullets and blades back and forth.

Esther looked over at their familiars, stunned to see that the rhinosaur nearly had them beat, Gogo close to defeat. Quickly, she summoned her familiar back before it could be any more damanged- if that were to happen, she would be knocked out as well. "Swaine, get Gunther out of there!" she said, urgently. "That girl's familiar is too-"

"Argh!" Swaine gasped suddenly, falling to his knees. Esther gasped, looking over and seeing Gunther had been defeated, shrinking back into Swaine's chest, as the thief fell unconcious.

She quickly took out her harp, using its healing magic to help him regain his strength. "Swaine..." she gasped, as he slowly came to. "How could that girl be so strong?"

"Must've had a lot of experience..." Swaine grunted, then paused. "Hold it... do you hear that?"

Esther listened, but all was still. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," Slowly, he stood up, peeking out from behind the rock. The girl was gone, as well as her rhinosaur. Cautiously, he stepped out, his revolver still in-hand, looking around. "It looks like our stalker made a break for it,"

"Who was she?" Esther asked.

"I don't know, but-"

*Ching! Ching! Ching! Ching! Ching! Ching!*

"AUGH!" Esther screamed, as suddenly she was pinned to the side of the cliff's wall, several little blades stuck deep through her sleeves and pantlegs, keeping her from moving.

"Esther!" Swaine gasped, running over to her.

*WHAM!*

The girl leaped off a ledge, where she had been hiding, and landed on his shoulders, pinning him to the ground, her gun-blade pointed at his head. "You don't know me, huh?!" she snarled. "Then I guess you don't have what I'm looking for,"

"What...?! Who the hell are you?! What do you want?!" Swaine yelled.

"I'm just another person you cheated... and I what I want is revenge." She cocked her gun.

"No! Please!" Esther screamed, feeling helpless. "Please, whatever he took from you, we'll get it back!"

The girl only ignored her. "Say goodbye to your 'friend'..."

*BANG!*

Swaine shut his eyes tight, expecting sheer pain before his death... but to his surprise, he felt nothing. He was still alive! He looked, seeing the girl holding her hand and cursing, and he took the opportunity to stand up and punch her hard in the face, knocking her into the wall. He looked around at who fired the shot, seeing a familiar face standing on top of the cliffs.

"Well, fancy seeing ye swabs on my territory, again!" Kublai exclaimed, putting his pistol back in the holster. "Now then, care to explain what's going on?"

Swaine helped unpin Esther from the cliffs, both of them looking at the girl, then up at the Sky Pirate. "Believe me, if we had a clue, we'd tell you." Esther replied.

*0*0*0*

They dragged the girl back to the docks. Swaine wanted to take Kublai's offer of leaving her to the pirates to keelhaul, but Esther claimed they needed to show the sailors who their stowaway was, and have proof to help clear Swaine's name (even though he knew they didn't really need the proof). They locked her in the brig, after taking her pack and checking her for any other weapons, finding only a pocket-knife, a dagger, and an apple.

"So, this is our so-called 'ghost', eh?" Sindbah commented, rubbing his chin. "I don't quite recall seeing her around, much. Do ye two know her?"

"No... but... I think she knows Swaine," Esther said, turning to her thief-friend. "She said you stole something from her... Any thoughts?"

Swaine observed the girl, thinking deep. "None... then again, I'm still trying to remember who all I stole from. What I'm trying to figure out is what exactly I stole from her that was so important, it would drive her to try to kill me!" he replied, sneering a bit.

"Maybe she'll give us some answers when she wakes up,"

"Ha! The way she acted on the battle-field, I doubt she'll say a word!"

"We'll keep an eye on her," Sindbah said. "She looks like a native from Autumnia- we'll turn her over to the authorities there,"

Swaine smirked, imagining giving the order for the guards to lock the girl up... or having Marcassin put a hex on her as punishment. Esther noticed his expression, and didn't even have to figure out what he was thinking- she only shook her head.

"C'mon, lets go get some rest... it's been a hard morning," The familiar-tamer sighed, heading to her room. Sindbah nodded, heading for the helm to give orders to set off.

Swaine stayed behind, sitting on a barrel, studying the girl, trying to recall some memory of her or what he stole, but his mind was a blank. _Hopefully the answer will come to me soon, _he thought, sighing as he walked out. His quest had been difficult enough.

Here he was, trying to make up for his past... and it turns out someone from his past had it out for him, and he didn't know the full reason why.

*0*0*0*

The drifter came to in time to see Swaine walk up the steps. She sat up quick, noticing she was locked in a cell, all her supplies and weapons missing.

She thought back to what had happened during their encounter. She had tried to keep her mind clear, at first acting like a defensive, innocent bystander who just seemed to 'find' a bag of money and believe Swaine and Esther were a couple bandits coming after her... but that blew out of proportion the moment Swaine used some grappling-hook gun to snag her own weapon... and rage built up inside her. Before she knew it, she was calling out her familiar, Ghibli, for battle and attacking them...

If she had played it more coolly, she could have earned their trust and gotten a little more closer... but nope. She blew her top, and blew her plan. Now she was locked away.

_And once again, I screw things up. _she thought bitterly, sitting in the cell, clenching her fists, wishing she had something to throw out of rage. _Flippin' dammit!_

*0*0*0*

**A/N: So you may be saying to yourself, "Geez, WG, you had the chance to make a cool character, and you just ruined it!" ...Well, don't worry, because my OC will be cool again, but will also have some 'screw-up' moments- why? Well, that's part of the mystery of her past. ...yeah, I suck at this, don't I?**

**Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **It's about a guy who tries to make up for some things he did to others... like what Swaine is doing; Yeah, as you clearly notice, my OC isn't _quite _so good at getting revenge. :P ; And yep, Oliver will be along soon ;)

**Please review and send constructive criticism... but for the love of all that's pure, don't flame!**


	17. Beware of the Quiet Ones

**~Chapter Seventeen~**

**Beware of the Quiet Ones**

It began to rain over the seas two days after the ship began to sail, drizzling on-and-off throughout the voyage. Sindbah was constantly shouting orders to the crew to keep a steady course when it started to get rough, Swaine and Esther assisting in any way they could, especially when a few sea-beasts would often sneak on board.

When not on deck, Swaine spent most of his time in his room, pacing and trying to figure out where he met the girl, going through a list of people he remembered stealing from. Of course, it proved difficult, since he had started stealing from people when he was 13- after running away from home, he had trouble finding something to do with his life, and turned to a life of crime after three years of heart-break got to him. He had stolen many things from people since then, having started out with food or guilders, but soon began swiping tools, clothing, gems, weapons... pretty much anything he could either use for himself, or sell on the Black Market, which he had worked for until the guards started poking around, and he had to leave the country once more before they could catch him.

_What was it I stole from her? _The thief thought, pacing around the room for the umpteenth time that week. _Was it a rare weapon? ...No, I only stole those from careless sailors or guards- that girl doesn't seem like the type who would just leave it lying around. ...Was she the one I stole 20,000 guilders from? ...No, wait, that was the man in Autumnia I lost a bet with in a familiar-fight. Besides, she wouldn't want to kill me over money or supplies. The only ones who would want to kill me would be..._

He stopped pacing for a moment, a feeling of deep regret washing over him, mixed with horror. _Could... could it be she knew him? ...No, no. She said I stole something from her that she wants back. It wouldn't have something to do with... with that. _

Swaine groaned, lying down in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. What a mess this was turning out to be! He wished he could just fall asleep, and wake up somewhere clear away from his troubles... Or travel to the future, to a time where he didn't have anyone to pay back anymore, and get on with his life. But, even if it were possible for him to time-travel, he couldn't do it- such a spell could only be used once by a mortal, and they had already used it, after being sent back in time...

He shut his eyes, wishing he could have taken the chance to keep his younger self, Gascon, from running away, then he wouldn't be in this mess... but then again, if he never became a thief, he probably never would have met Oliver and Esther, throwing time out of proportion.

Eventually, he drifted to sleep, his mind deciding to send him to the realm of dreams and give him a break from his troubles for a short while.

*0*0*0*

Esther, in the meantime, did something a little more bold.

She made an attempt to try and talk to the girl.

It had started two days after they left. She went down there, taking a calm approach, gently asking the girl what exactly Swaine stole from her, or how they had met, but the girl remained silent. She then tried just talking to her, telling her how Swaine was trying to make up for all the things he had done- but again, she only got the cold shoulder.

The familiar-tamer found herself in a routine over the week- every other day she would go down to the brig and try to talk to her, but each time the girl stayed silent.

"I just don't know what to do... she just seems so stubborn!" Esther said in frustration one day, while sitting in the galley with Sindbah.

"Methinks you should try a different approach," Sindbah suggested. "Perhaps ye both could find a clue about her, looking through her stuff."

"You mean invade her privacy? I don't think that's the answer!"

"Well, it's the best chance you've got. I don't know anything about that girl except one thing- she won't answer to anyone... and from what I've learned, it's always the quiet ones you need to be wary of."

Esther still didn't think it was right, but after another day of getting no answers from the girl, she began to have second thoughts. She walked down to the hull, where they had thrown the girl's pack, stuffed with her weapons and other supplies. _It's wrong, but... if it will help us out with this mystery... _she thought, and began to dig through the pack.

She found fruit, which was starting to rot; a spare set of cargo pants and tunic; her gun-blade, pocket-knife, and dagger; what appeared to be a tent and sleeping bag; and a tiny lantern no bigger than her palm. She sighed, figuring invading a stranger's privacy was all for naught... until she saw something hidden under the folded tent...

_What's this? It looks like... _she thought, reaching in and pulling out a small book with a cross-and-heart pattern. "A diary?"

*0*0*0*

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"Swaine, open up! I think I've found something!"

Swaine groaned, slowly sitting up in bed. _I swear to God, if waking me from sleep is going to be a regular habit with this girl... _he thought bitterly, grumbling as he walked over and unlocked the door. "This had better be good," he groused.

"I found this in that girl's pack!" Esther said, entering the room and showing Swaine what appeared to be a diary. "She must have something written in here that will give us a clue!"

Swaine rubbed his chin, walking over. "Well, open it up then, and lets see!"

Esther paused. "Um... that's actually why I came to you. Look..." she pointed to the side of the diary, which seemed to have a tiny combination lock on it. "Apparently, she likes to keep her secrets safe. You're good at cracking codes, right?"

Swaine rubbed his chin. In his early days as a thief, he learned how to pick locks, and knew how gears worked. Cracking a combination shouldn't be too hard. "I'll give it a shot, but it may take a while," he replied, taking the diary and looking it over. He sat on the bed, running his fingers over the numbers... but somehow he couldn't concentrate.

Namely because Esther was standing by him, eagerly watching him work.

_Good grief... _Swaine thought, and looked up at her. "Would you mind waiting outside my room? I'm trying to concentrate," he told her.

"Oh! Sorry! It's just... I'm kind of excited to figure this out," Esther said, sheepishly inching towards the door. "I'll let you handle it..." With that, she exited the room... poking her head back in. "Let me know when you get it open!" Then she left.

Swaine sighed, shaking his head. "Just when I thought she wasn't nosy enough," he said to himself, then got back to work.

*0*0*0*

Two hours went by, and Esther began to grow impatient, itching for answers. She wanted to go down to Swaine's room and see if he was close, but thought against it- it would be a bad idea to interrupt his concentration, and cause him to have to start over.

Instead, she decided to go back down to the brig, seeing the girl was sitting in her usual position: cross-legged, back against the wall, and eyes shut, as if she were in some sort of meditation.

"Hey... it's me again," Esther said, quietly. "I know you're not going to talk to me, but... well, I just want to talk to you. I just don't know why you're after Swaine- I mean, I know he stole from you, but he doesn't remember anything about it."

The girl's eyebrow's furrowed, but her position remained the same.

"He's been a thief for a long time... but, not recently. He's changed, and we're good friends now. I mean, he and I tend to bicker once in a while, but he's not a bad guy- kind of a pain in the neck at times, but still..."

The girl clenched her fists, and Esther thought it best to change the subject.

"I just... I just want to know what he stole from you. It may help all of us. You just need to trust me when I say he's-"

"Trust?!" The girl snapped, startling Esther. She stood up, storming up to the bars and gripping them tight. "TRUST?! Why the bloody hell should I trust him?! Why should I trust either of you?!"

Esther bit her lip, backing against the wall. "We... we just want to help..."

"News flash: _I don't want your flippin' help! _Especially from the same bastard who ruined my life!" she let go of the bars, and began to pace the cell, like a caged animal.

"What...? How did he ruin it? ...What did he steal?"

The girl scoffed. "What does it matter? It's gone, and I doubt I'll ever get it back. ...Don't bother asking any more questions. I'm not saying another word."

Esther opened her mouth to reply... but someone beat her to it. "Oh, but I think you will..."

Both girls looked over, seeing Swaine walking down the steps, the diary in hand.

"...That is, if you want THIS back," the thief said with a smirk.

The girl's eyes widened. "What the...?! You went through my stuff?! You lousy, rotten, son of a-!" she snarled. "GIVE IT BACK!"

"I will... IF you give us some answers," Swaine casually turned the diary in his hand. "I managed to crack the code on this thing... but, I decided, rather than just invade someone's privacy to get answers, I'll just make a deal: you tell us what we want to know, and you'll get your diary back."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure. First you rob me, then- in order to remember what you took- you decide to blackmail me!"

"That is pretty low, Swaine..." Esther admitted, then turned to the girl. "But, it's our only other option. We don't know why you're after Swaine, and you're not telling us anything... If you just tell us, you can have it back."

The girl muttered something vulgar under her breath. After a minute or so, she sighed. "Fine... But I'll only answer three questions, that's it. Your thief-friend will have to remember the rest on his own,"

Esther nodded. "Fair enough,"

"What?!" Swaine questioned. "How is that fair?!"

"Blackmail isn't very fair, either, therefore my conditions work on the same level. ...That's one question, down." The girl replied.

"What?! That doesn't count- I was asking her!" Swaine pointed at Esther.

"It still counts. Better think of your next two questions carefully."

Swaine began to open his mouth, but Esther covered it. "Okay. 'Second' question... Where are you from?" she asked.

The girl was quiet at first. "I'm from Kaninesas... have you've heard of that city?"

Swaine and Esther exchanged glances. "It sounds familiar... but I don't think I've ever been there."

"Hmph. Not many people have."

"Why is that?" Swaine asked.

"It was a remote city, closed off from tourists. ...Now give me my diary back."

"What?! But you hardly told us anything!"

"I gave you three questions, you should have asked more wisely. ...Besides, I'm not going to say anything more if you don't give back my diary- and looking through it won't help your chances of earning my forgiveness, but will more likely increase my chance of smothering you while you sleep."

Swaine clenched his fists- he was about ready to chuck the diary in this girl's face!

But, once again, Esther stepped in before he could do anything drastic. She took the diary from him and handed it back to the girl. "Fair's fair. Here you go," she said. "But, keep in mind, we can help you out... just give us a chance,"

The girl only gave a nod, her expression serious, as she held her diary tight. She gave a glare at Swaine, then turned away.

Swaine only sneered, then stormed upstairs, Esther following. "Should've just let me blackmail her..." he muttered.

"You didn't even have the diary open," Esther remarked.

He gave her a look. "What? Why would you say that?"

She returned the look. "Because you never resist peeking at other's private things... or did you forget what happened last spring?"

Swaine scowled. "Not my fault you brought your diary... It didn't even have anything interesting in it- except a bunch of rants you wrote about me."

"It's still not nice to go through someone's privacy."

"Oh, like how YOU did?"

Esther gave him a punch in the arm. "It's a different situation! ...All we can do now is hope the girl comes clean- otherwise she'll be locked away, leaving us with an open mystery." she rubbed her chin. "But that city she told us, Kaninesas... I thought I heard of it before. You sure you haven't been there?"

"If I have, it would have jogged my memory. She said it was closed off... like Perdida once was. Maybe we can head there and find out,"

"Head where?" Sindbah asked.

"To Kaninesas... have you've heard of it?" Esther asked.

"Ha! Ye bet I have... but no one will be heading there anytime soon."

"Why? Just because it's closed off?" Swaine questioned. "We've managed to make our way into forbidden areas before..."

"Ah, but it's not forbidden... at least, not since it was destroyed over ten years ago!"

"Destroyed?" Esther asked, surprised.

"Aye, by Shadar... Of course, only few know about its ruins and history. All I know myself is that it kept its doors closed to outsiders. ...Where did ye hear of it?"

"That girl... she said she was from there." Swaine answered.

"Hmm... could be possible... but it could be a lie. There were no survivors after it was destroyed- and any locals from the city were sworn into secrecy to never reveal it's location, no matter the circumstances. I think that girl is messing with ye,"

Swaine stomped his foot. "That little brat! I oughtta..."

"But, wait... if no one was allowed to talk about the city, and very few people know about it, then how did she learn about it?" Esther questioned.

"Legends float around, that's how I heard of it." Sindbah replied. "But ye have to admit, that girl may be clever if she nearly convinced ye she came from a lost city. Best keep an eye on her,"

Swaine sighed bitterly. "And we're back to square one..." he muttered.

"She may have been telling the truth..." Esther replied.

"Yeah? Well if she came from this 'secret city', why would she tell us she came from there?"

"Maybe, since it was destroyed, she doesn't think there's a reason to keep it secret."

Swaine pondered this a moment. "Still... we don't have enough answers, and if that girl doesn't give us any, I'll see to it she's locked up in Hamelin to the end of her days, until she gives us some!"

Esther shook her head- she hated it when Swaine let his anger mess with the rational side of his mind. "We'll get some answers out of her. We got her talking, so that's a start..."

There was the sound of thunder, and it began to rain once again. The two of them headed back to their rooms. "I don't see why we should even bother. She'll probably just feed us a bunch of lies,"

Esther said nothing, knowing Swaine had a point. "Probably," she sighed, and walked into her room.

Swaine walked into his, having another regret on his mind: he should have worked harder to break that combination.

*0*0*0*

The girl waited until they were out of sight, then unlocked her diary, smirking as she turned to the middle of it, where she kept her feather-pen...

Which, her captors didn't think about, could double as a pick-lock.

This time, she wouldn't try to frame Swaine, or steal from him.

Oh no. She was going to get revenge on him... _personally_.

All she had to do was wait for her chance, once again. And this time, failure wasn't an option.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: And the mystery deepens, as the suspense rises.**

**Reviewer Thanks Again!**

**Mike AZ 2: **That's another thing I'm going to have fun with lol; And it's okay to curse a little (as long as it doesn't include flaming) and it's nice that you think of my OC as a bad-ass; How she got her familiar and if she'll ever forgive Swaine will remain a mystery until further notice (I love leaving my readers wondering).

**I love the reviews. I appreciate the nit-picks. I DESPISE the flames.**


	18. Comedy Time!

**~Chapter Eighteen~**

**Some Stand-Up**

Oliver walked along the streets of Hamelin. Over the past few days, he had been doing favor-after-favor, earning guilders and getting items as his reward... though he began to feel restless with it. It was as if, every time he was about to continue his way to find his friends, some new task came up that required his assistance- though it wasn't like anyone was begging for his help, the boy just couldn't turn down someone who needed help.

After helping the girl retrieve AND fix her mother's locket in Castaway Cove, he decided to use the Fast Travel spell and head to Hamelin. He figured Swaine may be around, or perhaps his friends would be passing by- not to mention, he wanted to catch up with Marcassin and see how the young Sage was doing.

But, as fate would have it, there were people who needed his help. One man needed help finding ingredients for some medicine, for his ailing wife; a child's dog had gone missing, leaving her quite distressed; and a young girl needed help fixing her Cloud Sweeper that she used to make deliveries... which was an easier task than the rest, as Oliver had a Cloud Sweeper of his own and new how its gears worked- it was no different than helping Phillip build a car... except, it was a broom.

Oliver once again found himself tired by the end of the week, and decided to rest. _I shouldn't be in such a hurry, _the young wizard thought as he lied in his bed. _It's nice to just hang around, rather than jump from one place to another, and I'll bet Swaine and Esther will turn up- they probably heard I'm back and are probably looking for me, too!_

Afterwards, he went to the palace to visit Marcassin. The young Sage was more than surprised to see him when the guards announced his arrival. "Oliver! It's so nice to see you again!" he exclaimed in delight.

"You too, Marcassin," Oliver said, giving a bow in respect.

Marcassin lead him over to a set of chairs, where they could sit and chat. "It's been a while. What have you've been up to in your world?"

"Not too much... just needed to come back here for a while," Oliver replied, slowly remembering the situation with the agent and foster-care back in his world, but decided he would talk about it later. "What all has happened here since I left? I heard Cassiopeia is looking for a new council,"

Marcassin gave a smile. "You heard right. She was here just a couple weeks ago, asking me to join! ...But, I told her I wanted to talk to Gascon about it, first. I don't make any large decisions like that without his consultance, first."

Oliver nodded in understanding. "Speaking of your brother, has he been around, recently?"

"He and Esther came by at the end of Spring to give me an update on their travels," The Sage let out a soft sigh, walking over to a window, looking out. "I just hope he finishes with his travels, soon."

The young wizard's eyes widened. "Huh? Is there something wrong, your majesty?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no of course not. ...I just often worry about him sometimes. I keep getting this sick feeling in my gut that he may vanish for several years again..."

"Don't say that! Swaine will always come back for you- he promised, remember?"

"I know... It's just something that comes natural with family, I suppose." he looked back at Oliver. "I often worried about you as well, how you were getting along in your new world, being gone so long, and such."

Oliver blushed a bit. "Um, there's really nothing to be worried about. I was just busy with school, and hanging out with my other friends, and... stuff. Nothing to worry about,"

Marcassin gave a light chuckle. "Like I said, it comes natural- for both family _and _friends. ...I'm sure Gascon and Esther will return, soon. He always returns before the season is over with. In the meantime, I'd like to show you a new spell I'm working on,"

"What kind of spell?"

"It's called the 'Foresee' Spell- it's supposed to allow one to see current events that are happening anywhere." he leaned in and whispered. "Don't tell my brother, but I plan on using it to keep an eye on him when he travels, just to make sure he's staying out of trouble,"

Oliver chuckled. "Maybe I could learn it, too- that way I can see what's happening in Motorville without having to leave- I mean, not too much..." he cleared his throat. "And I think you can trust your brother."

"Oh, I do... But like I said, it's part of having a family, always checking on one another." he gave a small smile. "Besides, when we were younger, I always had a tendency to spy on him- he always caught me in the act, though. ...C'mon, I'll show you what I've learned so far."

Oliver nodded, following Marcassin to his chamber, where a Crystal Ball stood on a pedestal. Marcassin used his staff, generating a little power as he tried to cast the spell... but stopped, panting as if he had been lifting a heavy object. "I'm still not strong enough, it appears." the Sage sighed.

Oliver rubbed his chin, then looked at his own wand, Mornstar. "Why don't you use my wand?" he suggested.

Marcassin gave him a surprised look. "Yours? Are you sure?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah... I actually have another wand," he reached into his bottomless bag, pulling out Mornstar's twin, Astra. "I just haven't been using it much. When I returned to my world, I put my wands away, only taking out Mornstar to practice in private. After school started, I put everything in my trunk and... just kind of forgot about it for a while,"

Marcassin arched an eyebrow. "A lot must have happened in your world that could just cause you to forget you had magic wands."

"Yeah... Anyway, you can see if Mornstar will work for this spell. If not, I'll switch it with Astra."

Marcassin gave a nod, accepting Mornstar. "Why don't we go out and practice? Just so I can 'break in' this new wand?"

"Don't you want to try the new spell?"

"It's best to learn the strength of a wand's power before using it, first. ...Besides, as long as Gascon isn't getting himself into trouble, there really isn't much of a rush."

Oliver gave a nod, and they walked out of the palace, deciding to take on some monsters for their practice. As they did, he wondered what Swaine and Esther were up to... and hoping they were keeping out of trouble.

*0*0*0*

_~Meanwhile...~_

"DAMMIT!"

Esther turned, seeing Swaine had fallen on the slipper deck, landing on his rear. Another storm at blown in, and the two of them were doing the best they could to help the crew keep the ship steady- Esther tightening lifelines, while Swaine helped pull up the sails.

"Are you alright?" She called to him.

"Fine! Just keep at your job!" Swaine answered back, grabbing back onto the rope that had escaped his grasp, and giving it a good tug.

Esther managed to finish with the lifelines, then turned to the captain. "The lifelines are secured, Sindbah!" she called to him.

"Good! Help out your friend, there!" Sindbah called back. "It looks rough ahead of our course! We'll have to head southward, out of the storm!"

"Just great!" Swaine sneered, moving up a bit so Esther could grab onto some rope, both of them pulling tightly until they were able to secure it. They then hung on by the masts, waiting out the storm until Sindbah managed to get them on calmer seas an hour later.

"We'll have to land on a nearby island," Sindbah told them, looking at the skies, steering his ship towards an island not too far off. "It seems every part of the sea is getting some serious storms,"

"Fantastic," Swaine muttered. "So, when will be able to set sail again?"

"I'd say give it two days. Me crew could use the rest after dealing with this miserable weather, anyhow."

"Aye, and that island up ahead sure looks warm and sunny," Another sailor spoke up, looking ahead.

Esther looked over at the island, and her face lit up. "I remember that island! That's where the Fairy Grounds are!" she exclaimed, and turned to Swaine, giddily. "Isn't this great? We finally have the chance to see Mr. Drippy again!"

Swaine gave a deadpanned look. "Grreeaaaaat..." he replied, sarcastically. Maybe he should have let that girl shoot him.

*0*0*0*

The moment the gangplank was lowered, Esther took off down the beach, excitedly. Swaine followed, trudging along- he wasn't really in the mood to see the Lord High Lord of the Fairies, knowing there was a chance he would end up using the fairy for target-practice if he annoyed him too much, but Esther was eager to see him... and once she set her mind on something, there was no changing it. He would have just stayed on the ship, but felt he needed to put some distance between him and that crazy-girl down in the brig.

"I'm just saying, if he gets on my nerves once, I'm kicking him across the coastline," Swaine was saying as they headed towards the Fairy Grounds.

"Oh, stop being such a grouch!" Esther scoffed. "It's been months since we've seen Mr. Drippy, and I want to know what he's been up to!"

Swaine sighed. "Can't we wait a year?"

Esther ignored him, and continued on the path to the Fairy Grounds, the thief following. As they got closer, however, he felt himself lighten up... once they were in the small village, his moodiness slipped away, looking around at the fairies and their small-shops. Two fairies recognized them immediately. "Oi! You two! Come over here a minute!" one of them, a fairy who had a large smile on his face, called.

Esther's face lit up. "Smiley! Surly!" she exclaimed, running over to them. "It's nice to see you again!"

"Nice to see you and your lanky friend too, lass. But where's the other kid?" Surly, a fairy with a pursed-lips expression, replied. "The one with the wand who Drippy always hung 'round with?"

"Oliver? He's still back in his world, I think." Esther replied.

"What are you two up to?" Swaine asked the two fairies. "I thought you were both doing stand-up."

"We still are! We're just on break," Smiley replied. "We've been able to get some time off ever since Drippy took to the stage again, en't it so, Surly?"

"Sure is, eh?" Surly replied.

"Sure is."

"Wait... Mr. Drippy is doing a comedy act?" Esther questioned, surprised.

"Why are you so surprised, lass? He's the greatest in comedy, why wouldn't he be cracking jokes?"

"He's on in a few minutes," Surly spoke up. "If you two want, you can catch the act,"

"We'd love to!" Esther exclaimed, before Swaine could reply.

"Alright, on to the show, then!" Smiley exclaimed, as the two fairies lead them down to the ampitheater where the stand-up took place.

"Do we really have to sit through this?" Swaine whispered to her, as they sat down on the small hill.

"Oh, hush. I know you love stand-up comedy- you were laughing at Smiley and Surly's act last time!" Esther replied.

"Heh, I was just being nice... it wasn't that funny."

Esther only rolled her eyes.

In a matter of moments, the area was surrounded with other fairies, come to watch Mr. Drippy's act. Apparently, it was quite the show, as nearly the whole village came to see the show. There were so many fairies, Swaine and Esther would possibly be lost in the crowd, if they weren't taller than everyone else.

The curtains drew back, and out stepped a fairy with a large nose with a lantern attached to it- their friend, Mr. Drippy. "Tidy! What a turn-out tonight! Great to see you all, great to see you all!" the Lord High Lord of the Fairies exclaimed, taking a couple bows as the crowd cheered. "Thank ya! Thank ya! ...Hey, Stoney, I see ya in the front row- looks like ya've been missing some sleep, runnin' dat pastry-shop! ...Ah, don't worry, mun, I won't be pickin' on ya- especially since your sleep deprivation reminds me of a good story, about my travels with Ollie-boy! Ye all want to hear 'bout it?"

The crowd cheered wildly, giving Esther and Swaine the hint that Mr. Drippy had been sharing stories about their travels quite a bit- and they must have been pretty popular.

"Right-o! Don't know why I asked, eh? ...Alright, this is a good one- had to clean it up a bit, 'cuz our pal, Swaine, had quite a colorful mouth on him." (Esther had to snicker, while Swaine covered his face). "'Kay, here goes... One mornin', we were all gettin' up early at th' Cat's Cradle, tah get a head start on the day. Well, Swaine happened to be sleepin' in, so I had to go wake him up- since I drew th' shortest straw- and here's what happened. I walk into his room, callin' out, 'Good mornin', Thief-face! Time to get up! Rise and shine, en't it?'..."

Mr. Drippy then changed his tone to match Swaine's (as best as he could), stepping off to one side and swinging his fist angrily. _"GET THE FLIP OUT!'"_

"...an' Bam! I got a face full of pillow at Mach 4! After I coughed out the feathers, I was all, 'Geez, mun! The sun's been up for an hour, now! What're you, some sort of bat? Get out of bed already!' ...I managed to get him out of bed- had a heck of a time outrunnin' him, though!"

The crowd was laughing, Swaine shaking his head.

"Aye, it's a good thing Ollie-boy was around- he was a good wizard. The first Cry-Baby Buntin I met who could take out a bunch o' beasts. There wasn't a challenge he couldn't handle- jus' ask Fairy Godmother, he met her too!"

The crowd busted out laughing again.

Mr. Drippy took a bow. "Aye, thank ya! Nice to be appreciated- we heroes always love the attention... just ask Ollie-boy, he was always getting it just for hanging out with the one you see before ya today! Wish he'd get back though- startin' to miss my sidekick, y'know. Why, if I saw any of those lot in the audience now, I'd-"

His eyes spotted Swaine and Esther just then, and widened.

"I'd be dipped! Look who happens to be in the crowd now! Swaine! Esther! Long time no see! C'mon, stand up and lets have a look at ya!"

The crowd applauded as Esther stood up- forcing Swaine to his feet- and they awkwardly waved, blushing a bit.

"Tidy! Not much has changed, eh? ...Lets hope it has personality-wise, ha ha! Well, folks, this looks like a special occasion to wrap up early! I'll switch it over to Smiley and Surly now. Goodnight, and tidy to y'all!"

The crowd cheered until Drippy was off-stage, and the Lord High Lord of the Fairies met up with Swaine and Esther outside the ampitheater, by a small booth selling shakes. "Oi! Some surprise, dropping in during a star's act there, en't it?" he said to them. "Finally started to miss Ol' Drippy, eh?"

Esther giggled. "We did! We're so happy to see you again- and I can't believe you're doing stand-up! You were excellent!" she exclaimed.

"Speak for yourself," Swaine scoffed.

"So, what finally brings ya to th' Fairy Grounds to visit?" Mr. Drippy asked.

"We were sailing to Autumnia, but had to go off-course because of a storm," Esther replied.

"Ah, yes... this is th' time for storms, it is. There's always a storm during the final weeks of Fall- sea storms, sand-storms, wind-storms, you name it. Luckily they pass by quick before Winter starts. Tidy, en't it?"

"How do the fairies handle storms, here? With all the little shops and houses, it must be a trial!"

"Ha! Far from it, Esthy-lass! Ya see, th' Fairy Grounds are well protected from any dangerous storms thanks to our magic, see? Kind of gives a force-field, you would say."

"Lucky you. We're going to be stuck here for the next couple days, until the seas are clear enough to sail again," Swaine remarked. "As if we haven't had enough trouble..."

"Trouble, ya say? What kind of trouble? Some beastie stalkin' ya lot?"

"Well, not really a beast... just a girl who knows Swaine. She's been following us around, lately, and we managed to lock her up." Esther answered.

Mr. Drippy developed a surprised look. "Really? ...Gosh, Thief-face, when ya always bragged about th' ladies chasin' ya, I thought ya were just makin' cracks! Who would've thought there was a girl so desperate for a mun..."

"It's not like that! The bloody wretch tried to kill us!" Swaine snapped, red in the face.

"Oh... so ya admit all those times ya claimed ya were a girl-magnet was all just lies, en't it? Women finding ya so repelling, they try to exterminate ya like vermin..."

Swaine clenched his fists. Lord knows what kind of violence he'd unleash upon the fairy if Esther didn't step in- trying to stifle a laugh as she did. "Hee hee, it's not like that... The girl claims Swaine stole something from her, and is out for revenge." the familiar-tamer explained. "She's locked in the brig of the ship, now. We're going to take her to Autumnia,"

Mr. Drippy clapped his hands together. "Tidy! I can't wait to go! When do we set sail?"

"What?!" Swaine sneered. "What makes you think you're coming?"

"Well, it seems to me th' two of ya need a little support, like old times eh? ...Speakin' of which, I was hopin' to see Ollie-boy with ya- or did ya two end up losing him?!"

"We haven't seen him in a while," Esther replied. "He must be busy in his other world... I hope he comes back,"

"Keep up the hopes, girl. With th' trouble ya've gotten into already, youe're going to need all th' help ya can get! ...Now, c'mon, I'll book ya a couple rooms at our Inn- my treat, since ye must be low on guilders!"

They walked along, Swaine grumbling under his breath. "One of these days I'm going to shoot that fairy, and make it look like an accident." he muttered.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Okay, here's a little trivia: that last line comes from the story "Two Hearts" written by **_**Juno's Peacock **_**(I thought it was a funny line and just had to borrow it). **

**And I have to say, it was tough writing Drippy's lines- I hope his accent sounded right, and sorry if the jokes were horrible :P**

**And now *drum roll please* ...The Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Thank you; I hope this chapter was good as well (as you can see, I used one of your 'wand' theories- thanks again!); And we'll see what she tries in the next chapter.

**Please review, keep up the nit-picks, but hold back on the flames! **


	19. Searching and Sneaking

**~Chapter Nineteen~**

**Memory Searching and Sneaking About**

It wasn't until the middle of the night when Swaine remembered seeing the girl before.

There he lay, in a small, cramped room, curled up in a tight position, trying to get comfortable. But, as they were in the Fairy Grounds, and the hotel here was built for the pint-sized fairies, it wasn't a simple task. For one thing, he pretty much had to hunch down to keep his head from hitting the ceiling, and the bed was three feet shorter than he was. Getting comfortable in a small room like that was more difficult than fighting any Guardian they've ever faced.

Finally, he decided it would be better to camp out on the floor, stretching out on it (his feet nearly reached halfway across the room!) and folding his arms behind his head, looking up at the low ceiling and hoping he could prevent himself from hitting his head on it when he got up in the morning. True, he could have just slept on the ship, telling Mr. Drippy that he preferred not to wake up with a cramp in his entire body, but Esther had once again gotten him to take the offer.

_What is it with me, lately? _he thought, recalling how the desert-girl had been able to talk him into or out of anything. _Normally I just argue with her until one of us is blue in the face, or just ignore her- usually Oliver is the one who gets me to change my mind._

Perhaps, since it was just him and Esther lately, he had developed more of a tolerance towards her... Plus, she was similar to Oliver in a few ways- enthusiastic, willing to help, and able to tolerate many things (outside of Swaine's attitude). True, she wasn't much of a fighter and was more capable of healing, whereas Oliver was prepared for almost anything, but at heart they shared many good qualities. That was probably why he could tolerate her- because he could tolerate Oliver, though the young wizard came easier, as his pure-heartedness could win anyone over.

Swaine, secretly, couldn't have asked for better friends- even though when he first went along with them, he felt like he was babysitting. He, a grown man, had been hanging around with a couple of little kids, as if he were still one! _Ah well- they needed at least ONE adult to supervise them, _he joked.

Thinking about their last adventure relaxed him, helping his mind open up to some optimism. They had faced giant monsters, the Dark Djinn, White Witch, and the Zodiarchs, and an onslaught of manna-cursed people... Running around the world and making up for his thieving was more simple than that! Sure, there was a psychotic girl out for blood for stealing from her... but he would be rid of her soon enough, even if he never remembered where he had seen her, just like how he never remembered where he saw that girl he spotted in Al Mamoon-

Suddenly, he gasped, sitting up quick-

*Thunk!*

...momentarily forgetting about the low ceiling. "Ow..." he groaned, rubbing the new bump on his head, but that didn't distract him long.

_That girl in the brig... she's the same one I saw in Al Mamoon! _the thief recalled. _Lord above- how long has she been stalking us?! ...And what the hell could I have stolen from her that would make her go to such lengths?!_

He tried to remember if he had seen her anywhere else, but there was no other memory except only having a glance of her in Al Mamoon... and he didn't steal anything from anyone there! He decided to think far back to the first time he stole from someone... but fatigue began to overcome him, and he felt too tired to think of it further. Despite the cramped conditions, he managed to fall asleep, snoring loudly.

*0*0*0*

It was so simple, she was nearly suspicious.

The drifter had picked the lock to her cell, after waiting for the guard to fall asleep. _Why to guards always fall asleep? _she thought to herself, keeping back a chuckle. _Especially when they know there's a prisoner to watch! Did they really think a rusted cell could keep their 'ghost' restrained?_

Okay, that was enough bragging- she had a mission to do. She could boast after it was done.

First, she would have to get her weapons. She snuck up the steps, only far enough until she summoned her rhinosaur, Ghibli, to scout ahead. It was one good trick she learned with her familiar- since they shared a bond, she could check out her surroundings without really moving from her spot. And if anyone were to come across it, she'd just order him to stand down and act friendly, making them think he was tame and/or belonged to someone. It had taken a while to train him for such things, but it was well worth it.

Ghibli walked on deck, looking around- Sindbah and his crew seemed to be camping on the beach, sitting around a fire, drinking and swapping stories, while another sailor stood watch in the crow's nest, yawning boredly as he looked in the other direction, and another stood at the helm, looking around... noticing the rhinosaur and coming towards it!

_Time for Plan A, _the drifter thought. _Ghibli, run to the side- refrain from attack!_

The rhinosaur did as he was told, trotting over to one side of the ship. "How'd ye get on board?" the sailor approaching him asked. The familiar ignored him and headed across the deck at a faster pace, the sailor chasing after him. "Hey! Get back here!"

"What's going on?" The sailor from the crow's next called.

"A rhinosaur's on deck!"

"What? Where'd it come from?"

"I don't know- help me get it off!"

Ghibli ran to the upper-deck to avoid the sailors... while the drifter snuck across the main deck, ducking behing the mast and barrels when the sailors were near, then made her way to the hull. Once she was out of sight, she called her familiar back, having it slip back into her heart quickly before the sailors could catch up.

"Where'd it go?" The first sailor asked.

"I don't know... it seemed pretty tame, like it belonged to someone," The second answered.

"Ah, must've been Billy's. He probably decided to pull a joke on us, like he did that one time..."

"Billy doesn't have a rhinosaur, he owns a Zombo,"

"Oh yeah... huh. Best keep an eye out then, eh?"

"Yeah- you can start by getting back up in that crow's next and making sure no other beasts sneak on board!"

"Geez, who died and made you captain?"

The drifter shook her head. _Sindbah really knows how to pick a crew, _she thought. It was a good thing she was dealing with regular sailors, and not Kublai and his pirates- she would be lucky to have gotten this far if dealing with them!

Not wanting to press her luck, she quietly made her way down to the hull. It was dark, but luckily her eyes had adjusted to the darkness down in the brig, and the clouds had blocked the moon that night. She made her way through the hull, passing by crates and barrels, until she found her pack, propped in the corner. She ruffled through it, until she found her lantern. She switched it on a dim setting, so that it was light enough to see but not too bright to draw attention immediately, and checked to make sure all her supplies were there. It appeared the fruit had been thrown out- Esther probably didn't want it stinking up the place- but aside from that everything was still in order.

She stuck her diary in her pack, then made her way up the stairs, once again summoning Ghibli to check things out- fortunately, the sailors were by the gang-plank, talking to a pair of replacements.

Cautiously, she made her way across the deck, scurrying behind the mast, then towards the door that lead to the sleeping quarters, looking back and watching as the replacements were walking her way. Quickly, she ducked behind a barrel, watching them pass by. "A rhinosaur on deck?" one of them questioned.

"Aye, I think they've been hitting the grog too much," the other replied.

Once they were out of sight, she slipped through the door, heading down the stairs, where she saw the doors to Swaine and Esther's rooms were open... and neither of them were in sight. _They must be on the island... dammit, nothing's ever easy, is it? _She thought with a heavy sigh, and she snuck over to the window in Swaine's room, which faced the island. This time, she couldn't just dive out and make a splash- she had to be a bit more stealthy.

She walked out, heading underneath the stairs, where there was an extra coil of rope stashed behind a crate. She grabbed it and tied it tight against the bedpost, flung the rest out the window, and climbed out onto it...

It was then she figured out a few flaws: one, she was sure to be noticed; two, she didn't test how sturdy the rope was; and three...

*Ssssthunk!*

*Splash!*

...the bed wasn't quite bolted down, slid against the wall, and caused her to drop down, the sudden jerk of gravity causing her to lose her grip and hit the water. _And the award for World's Lousiest Ninja goes to...! _she sarcastically announced in her head. She stayed under water, quickly summoning Ghibli, having him go to shore. She swam underneath the water until she reached some rocks, which she poked her head out, watching as her familiar made it to the beach.

"Ah, it was just that rhinosaur- the beast probably decided to head into the jungle before it got clobbered," one of the sailors off-watch said, looking over from the campfire.

"Aye, I'll never understand the way their minds work." another sailor agreed.

The drifter then snuck across the beach, keeping to the shadows, calling back Ghibli and heading into the jungle. From what she could tell, Swaine nor Esther were at the campfire- and they would have shown themselves on the ship after hearing about the rhinosaur... so they must be in the jungle.

_Who the heck would go into a jungle in the middle of the night? _she wondered... then headed up a path. _Obviously, me._

She used her lantern to light her way- she was away from the pirates, and if Swaine and/or Esther noticed they would probably call out first to see if it were one of the sailors, giving her a chance to snuff it out and hide. As she continued up the path, she noticed a set of footprints- a small set belonging to a girl, and a larger set belonging to a man. Yep, she was on the right trail...

...It wasn't until she reached her destination did she want to back-track. _No. Flippin'. Way. _she thought, looking around at all the tiny shops, houses, and odd little creatures surrounding her. She had heard tales of this place before, but she never thought she'd ever set foot in it. _Is this...?_

"Look! It seems as if we've got another human visiting, en't it?" One fairy piped up as he and a friend walked up to her.

"Aye, it seems so! ...I guess we're a tourist destination, now!" The other fairy commented.

"Gah, I hope that doesn't mean we have to give tours and pass out funny T-shirts..."

"Oi, lass! What brings ya here?"

The drifter shook her head, breaking out of her trance. "Um... I-I'm looking for someone," she replied. "Do either of you know anyone named Swaine?"

"Ah, youer a friend of his, en't it? Tidy! He an' another lass are dosin' at th' Inn, right down there!" The first fairy answered. "Out cold, probably. Ye look like ya need a rest youerself, lass!"

"Aye, best check in an' get some rest." The second fairy suggested.

She looked over at a small Inn, giving them a nod. "I'll take you up on that offer. Thank you." she answered, and made her way to the Inn.

She had to duck low in the doorway, seeing another fairy at a tiny desk. "Good evening! How can I help ya?" she asked.

"I'd like to book a room for the night, please."

"Tidy! Just sign in here,"

The drifter looked over the signatures, seeing Swaine and Esther's names... and quickly noting what rooms they were listed in. Quickly, she signed the name of her familiar, Ghibli (she dared not use her real name and get tracked down), and took her room key.

She made her way to the rooms afterwards... but didn't go into her own. No, she walked- hunched over a bit- down the hall, looking for the rooms that thief and his friend were in.

Of course, she didn't have to look for Swaine's, as she could hear him snoring from down the hall. How simple it would be to sneak into his room and just slit his throat...

But she had a different idea in mind. She opened the door to the room, taking note of the tiny bed, tiny dresser, and window that was small- but big enough for her to slip through after completing her task...

She snuck across the room, shutting and locking the door behind her...

*0*0*0*

**A/N: And this would be the right time when the screen would fade to black.**

**Here's some trivia I forgot to mention: I named my OC's familiar after 'Ghibli Studios', the same people who drew the animation for the game. :D**

**Also, FINALLY finished watching all the walkthroughs! I'm going to keep looking back through them in case I need some references.**

**And whoever wrote the wikia for Ni No Kuni... THANK YOU!**

**Speaking of thanks, here's some for you reviewers! :D**

**Mike AZ 2: **I knew I misspelled something, thanks for catching that; I think it's spelled with an 'i'- I remember it being spelled that way when watching the walkthroughs; I have some reactions in mind, but it won't come until later, along with the rest of the characters from Motorville; Oh, there'll be another antagonist, but no spoilers here ;) but no, right now the agent is just a background character; Yeah, that's probably the best excuse he has; And neat, looking forward to reading it once you get it up!

**Titanicspaz: **XD So glad you enjoyed it... and yep, hopefully Oliver will be along soon before Swaine kills Drippy lol. (Btw, love your name!)

**Please review, nit-pick if you need to, but keep the flames away. *holds up fire-hose* Don't make me use this, otherwise!**


	20. Thief VS Thief

**~Chapter Twenty~**

**Thief VS. Thief**

_He ran across the deck, running on board the ship, having broken out into a sweat that mixed with the tears that rolled down his face. 'This is horrible... I have to get away from here! Before they... before they find me...' he thought, taking in deep breaths._

_"Ahoy, lad! What's a trespasser like you doing on my ship?" A sailor called, walking over and gripping him by the shoulder._

_"I... I need a ride... to Castaway Cove," the eighteen-year-old said, taking deep breaths. "Please! I'll pay you everything I have!"_

_"Easy lad... you look like you're in trouble. Say... you wouldn't happen to be that thief that's been causing so much trouble, are you?"_

_He shook his head, his brown hair falling in his face. "No... I... I'm trying to get away from these thugs. They're out to kill me!"_

_"Haven't you've gone to the authorities?"_

_"They won't help a street-urchin like me... those were their words. Please, I need to get as far away from here as possible!" he took out a sack of guilders. "Here's 200 guilders- it's all I have, but I'll work off the rest!"_

_"You seem pretty desperate... must've gotten into quite some trouble." the sailor gave an assuring smile. "Lucky for you, I'm willing to help. You can work off your ride- start by grabbing that mop and bucket. We'll be casting off in a few minutes,"_

_The teen nodded, sighing with relief._

_"What's your name, lad?"_

_"It's G... Swaine. Everyone calls me Swaine." He bit his lip- he had to get used to his name-change, especially after five years!_

_"Alright, 'Swaine', get to work!"_

_He started mopping, looking back at the coast once the ship set sail. 'Barely made it...' he thought. He managed to escape the wrath of his pursuers... _

_But he'd never escape this regret._

*0*0*0*

*Thunk!*

"Ow!" Swaine grunted, once again rubbing his head, after hitting it on the ceiling, waking from the nightmare. It wasn't the first time a dark memory slipped into his dreams and disturbed his sleep... in fact, it happened at least once every night.

And it was always about that one, awful event, when one of his thieving attempts backfired horribly...

He let out a heavy sigh, pushing it to the back of his mind, where he always kept it, repressing it as deep as it would go. Of course, the only way to get rid of it completely was to try and set things right... but he would be saving it for last- when, hopefully, he'd have the courage to face his mistake.

The thief lied back down, staring at the ceiling. Little morning light came through the window, but the skies were still dark with clouds. A perfect morning to sleep in, he believed...

*Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock!*

"Oi, Thief-Face! Wake up!"

...of course, not everyone believed the same thing...

_Ignore him, maybe he'll go away. _Swaine thought.

*Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!*

"SWAAAIIINE! Get up, ya thievin' bum! This ain't no time for sleepin'!"

The thief growled, rolling on his side. He forgot the fairy wasn't one to take a hint that someone really wanted to sleep in. _I swear, if he's just doing this so he can have new material for his damn stand-up, he's going to get more than a pillow in the face! _he thought, getting up and slowly walking to the door.

"Swaine! Thief-Face! Bum-Brain! Wake up, already, will ya?!" Mr. Drippy was shouting, while still knocking on the door.

"_WHAT?!" _Swaine yelled at the top of his lungs, ripping open the door.

"Geez, mun, lower th' volume. Ya want to wake th' whole place?" The fairy spoke calmly.

Swaine glared down at him. "There had better be a damn good reason why you're pounding on my door this early..."

"It's Esther, mun! I knocked on her door this morning, see, because I figured ye both would like a nice, early breakfast. Well, she wasn't answerin', which I found odd, since she's always awake by th' time th' sun comes up. I looked 'round th' village, thinkin' maybe she took a walk, like, but didn't see a trace o' her! So I came to ya, to see if ya would know where she went off to,"

The thief rubbed his face, wanting to kick the fairy across the hall (if he wasn't forced to slouch so much in the tiny building, he probably would have that moment). The fairy knew Swaine liked to sleep in late- why on earth would he believe he would be awake long enough to know where Esther was? Perhaps he didn't remember everything from their travels.

"Why didn't you just ask the purrietor?" Swaine muttered.

"Because no one was at th' desk- geez, mun, ya think they have someone at that desk every hour of the day?" Mr. Drippy replied. "But, since th' sun's nearly up, there might be someone down there now! C'mon!"

Swaine groaned, following the fairy- knowing he wouldn't let him get back to sleep- and headed downstairs. As he walked, his brain began to kick in-gear. It was true that Esther was an early-riser (having always gotten up before sunrise back in Al Mamoon when helping her father at the Babana Stand), so she would have met up with Mr. Drippy. She could have gone back to the ship, too, but she would at least inform them of her whereabouts first. _Where the hell would she wander off to so early in the morning? _he thought.

They stopped at the desk, where a cat-eared fairy sat. "Excuse me, but did a fine blonde-haired lass come down here this mornin'?" Mr. Drippy asked.

"Not that I've seen." the purrietor answered, then looked up at Swaine. "By any chance, would you happen to be a man named Swaine?"

"Yes, why?" Swaine answered, arching an eyebrow- and praying this fairy wasn't going to ask him about any jokes Mr. Drippy had made about him in his stand-up.

"Someone left this letter for you," she handed him an envelope.

"Must be from Esther, eh?" Mr. Drippy guessed.

Swaine opened the letter, reading it... clenching his fist. "No... it's someone else," he replied with a slight snarl. "Dammit, how'd she escape?!"

"Whoa, mun! What're ya talkin' about?! What's it say?!"

Swaine crumbled the letter, dropping it as he stormed out the door. "No time. We have to head to the other side of the island, NOW."

Mr. Drippy arched an eyebrow, then uncrumbled the letter, reading it...

_'If you want to see your little friend again, meet me on the other side of the island on the beach. Come alone- if I see any of your sailor friends, Esther will die in an instant. It's time to settle this... You have until noon.'_

The Lord High Lord of the Fairies gasped, and ran out the door after Swaine. "Oi! Wait! Youer not goin' there alone, are ya?!" he questioned.

"What choice have I got? I've seen how ruthless that girl is- she sees me with company, and she'll sure to kill Esther," Swaine groused, and looked down at the fairy. "Which means you have to stay behind, too."

"What?! No way, mun! Ya think I'm just gonna turn 'round and ignore the fact that a friend of mine is bein' held hostage? 'Sides, th' letter said youer SAILOR friends couldn't come along- it didn't mention fairies!"

Swaine growled- there was no use arguing with this fairy! "Look, just stay out of sight, alright?! This is between me and that brat... I don't know what she's after, but the only thing she's going to get is a fight."

Mr. Drippy followed. "Oi, Ollie-boy... if only you were 'round to talk some sense into this mun!" he said to himself.

*0*0*0*

It wasn't the first time she had snuck into someone's room, gagged their mouths to keep them from screaming, and knocked them unconcious. ...Ironically, she had used this tactic when she was tracking down another thief.

Twice as ironic that she was the thief in this case, stealing someone's friend in order to draw them out. It was easy, pushing her out the window- luckily the window was only a couple feet above the ground- and hauled her into the jungle, keeping to the shadows so not to be spotted by any fairies.

Now, she stood on the beach, keeping an eye on her captive, while keeping a look-out for Swaine and/or any sailors who might be searching for her.

The sun was rising above the coast, casting a bluish-gray glow reflecting off the clouds that covered the skies, the wind blowing harshly as waves tumbled and crashed on the coast- it would have been a nice sight for her to enjoy, despite the cold, if she wasn't so hell-bent on getting revenge.

She saw a figure walk out of the jungle, looking up one side of the coast, then looking her way. Even from ten feet, she could see the fury in Swaine's eyes, as he stormed over. "I swear to God, if you've hurt her in ANY way-!" he began to snarl.

"Save your breath. The only harm this girl has is a bump on the head," the drifter replied, glaring back at him. "Though, she'll suffer worse if you try anything. Now lets settle this,"

"You haven't given us any clues to what I've stolen from you, and won't accept help in looking for it! How the hell do you expect to settle anything?!"

"Lets just say, I plan on making your life a living hell- the same thing that happened to me after you cheated a little girl," she drew her gun-blade, Swaine quickly drawing his Rogue's Revolver just as fast, both of them aiming at each other. "Unless you can remember what you stole, I'm afraid you have no help to offer."

Swaine sneered. "I hardly remember you! What makes you think I can remember-"

*BANG!*

He gasped, a sharp blade cutting through the air and nearly taking a slice at his neck, if he hadn't moved. "In that case, game on." The drifter scoffed, firing another round of blades at Swaine.

He dodged, shooting back at her, managing to hit her arm. She hissed in pain, but kept shooting, cutting his leg with a blade, then his gun-hand. "Argh!" he cried, dropping it.

She smirked, taking aim again... suddenly it began to rain. But, not on her- just on Swaine. And there was some sort of glow to the drops. _What the hell? _she thought, stunned for a moment...

*POW!*

"Agh!" she cried out, when a bullet hit her gun-hand. She looked, seeing that Swaine was no longer wounded, and in full health! She growled, then summoned Ghibli to charge at him, while she retrieved her gun and fired at him with the other hand while he was summoning his familiar, both of the creatures beating the tar out of each other, glims bouncing off. She managed to get a couple green ones, healing up.

_Ghibli, use Roly-Poly! _she ordered. The Rhinosaur did so, but the Hurley managed to defend, causing little damage, but she could tell her familiar still had the upper-hand, just by watching how slow Swaine was beginning to move. She had her familiar attack once more, fiercely, until Swaine had no choice but to call him back. She grinned, now she could finish him-

But what was this? From his heart came another familiar- a Dumblelemur, it appeared! It moved quick, getting out of range as Ghibli charged... but paused, trembling a bit, then unleashed a full attack on the rhinosaur- it was psyched up!

*BANG!*

"Argh!" The drifter snarled, as Swaine managed to shoot her in the shoulder. She was so distracted by the fact that this man had more than one familiar, the second being better than the first, that she nearly forgot her main-target! Quickly, she grabbed a green glim that fell to the ground, healing herself and shooting back at him. He dodged, and ran to take cover behind a rock...

*CHING!*

She shot at the rock, the blade scraping on the side of it and making Swaine pause a beat to avoid it- and a second was all it took for the drifter to fire another shot, right in his side. "AAGGH!" he shouted, falling to his knees, trying to pry the blade out. He then hit the ground, passing out... and it was no wonder! Ghibli had defeated the Dumblelemur, the latter possibly having lost strength when its master was brutally injured, slipping back into his chest while Ghibli slipped back into hers.

"Well, now it looks like-" she began to say.

*WHAM!*

She couldn't finish, as something slammed into her back and knocked her face-first onto the beach, giving her a mouthful of sand. "Pleh! What the hell...?!" she snarled, turning around...

Seeing a concious Esther standing there, unbelievably pissed. Her familiar, a Strongo, used a trick that caused healing rain to fall on Swaine, healing him but he remained passed out, and made her way around the drifter to stand between her and the thief. _Damn, I forgot about this brat! _she thought. _She must've used that healing rain before, too! No matter..._

She summoned Ghibli once again, having him attack the Strongo while she fired at Esther, who strummed Cacophony on her harp, causing damage to the drifter, but she shook it off. Apparently, this girl wasn't that strong to defeat her, and Ghibli was wasting no energy on that Strongo.

"You do realize you can't defeat me, right?" The drifter sneered, pausing from her shots. "I've spent my whole life leveling on the playing field. You're not strong enough to defeat me!"

"We've faced worst than you... and I'm not going to let you cause us any more harm!" Esther retorted, playing a Healing Hymn.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Ohh, what a comeback, I'm shaking!" she fired at Esther, making her gasp as the blade tore through her sleeve. "Honestly, do you know anything other than playing tunes on that harp? You're pretty much useless!"

"As long as I'm helping my friends, I'm proving more worth than a wretch like you! ...Augh!" She dodged another shot the drifter took at her.

"Pfft, please... You're hardly any help. If it weren't for that familiar of yours, you'd have no strength at all!" She paused, looking over, seeing Ghibli use Fling-Flame on the Strongo, who was beginning to look too weak to move. "...Actually, I think he's just as weak as you are."

Esther fumed, playing Cacophony again, doing some damage to the drifter, but not enough to weaken her. She called back Gogo, knowing he wasn't any match for that Rhinosaur, and prepared to heal herself...

*Bang!*

She gasped as a blade shot through the harp, cutting its strings... and making a gash in her side! She sank to her knees, moaning as she held her wound, wincing.

The drifter walked over, scoffing at the sight. "Yeah, some trooper you are. Like I said before, you're not much use," she replied, holding up her gun.

*Pow!*

*Clang!*

The drifter gasped as her gun was, once again, ripped from her grasp by a grappling hook, and saw that Swaine was concious once more... and beside him stood a fairy with a lantern on his nose. "Never... talk that way about my friends," Swaine groused, then took out his Rogue's Revolver, aiming at her.

The drifter was quick though, taking out her dagger and throwing it at him-

It landed at his feet, the blade sticking in the ground, and he looked down at it, giving a pathetic scoff. "Is that it?" he questioned...

...only to find out too late it was a distraction, as she lunged at him with her pocket knife, using her electric blade to stab at his arm as he raised it for defense, electrocuting him as she did so! He then fell to the ground, his body numb.

"Flippin' heck!" The fairy cried out.

The girl faced him next. "Now what to do with you?" she asked herself.

_"Leave them alone!" _a small voice shouted.

*Zap!*

The drifter was suddenly shot by an unseen force, causing her to black out.

Esther looked up, feeling herself engulfed by a blue light as well as Swaine, both of them rapidly healing, their wounds gone. They looked over, where standing on a rock was a familiar face.

The familiar-tamer found herself crying. Never before had she been so happy to see Oliver!

"OLLIE-BOY!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed, running down the beach towards him. "Geez, mun, where were ya ten minutes ago?! We could've used youer help!"

"I've been looking for you guys," Oliver replied, walking over to Swaine and Esther, the desert-girl immediately wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Oh, Oliver, I'm so happy you've came!" Esther cried.

"Great timing, too." Swaine added, rubbing the young wizard's head. "What's kept you from visiting?"

"It's a long story," Oliver replied, then looked at the drifter. "But, um, right now... mind telling me what's going on?"

*0*0*0*

**A/N: HOORAY! Oliver's back with the group and the drifter is temporarily out of commission! :D ...But, alas, there's still so much to deal with, and delt with it shall be... in the next chapter.**

**Reviewer Thanks, Ahoy!**

**Mike AZ 2: **I know how that feels- to be honest, this is the fastest I've ever updated in three years; Good thing they managed to defeat her (again) huh?; And I don't mind the quip.

**Review, nit-pick, but flame and you'll find yourself six feet underground. **


	21. Leave It To Oliver To Get Answers

**~Chapter 21~**

**Answers At Last**

"...And she's been trying to kill us after that." Esther finished telling Oliver.

The young wizard nodded, having been listening intently as his friends told him about seeing the drifter in Al Mamoon, and how she had been stalking them throughout their trip, tried to frame Swaine for stealing or cheating people (with no success), and had fought them twice now, the second time involving kidnapping Esther. "What is it she's looking for?" He wondered out loud.

"That's what we keep asking her, but she won't say a bloody thing. Only that she comes from Kaninesas- but that city's been in ruins for ten years now," Swaine answered.

"Well, th' only thing's this girl is finding is trouble- an' tryin' to kill you both jus' got her deep in it!" Mr. Drippy scoffed. "I ought to give her a what-for!"

"Lets try talking to her, a little more." Oliver suggested.

"We've tried that several times now! She won't say a word," Esther retorted.

"We should still try. Maybe she'll be calmer after getting the fight out of her system,"

"If not, I'd hit her with another spell- a Fireball would do the trick." Swaine suggested. "By the way, what kind of spell did you hit her with, anyway?"

"I struck her with an Arrow of Light. ...She's coming to!"

There was moaning, as the mysterious girl sat up on her knees, rubbing her head. "Ugh... what hit me?" she muttered.

"An Arrow of Light- Ollie-boy just said that, mun!" Mr. Drippy replied.

She gave a jolt, quickly getting to her feet, facing the group. "Please, don't be scared!" Oliver said quickly.

She sneered. "I am NOT scared! ...Who are you? Where'd you come from?!"

"My name's Oliver... and I want to know why you want to hurt my friends so much. They said Swaine stole something from you, but he can't remember what it was, and you won't tell them anything,"

"Why should I? Who would forget stealing something as important as the-" she caught herself, looking away.

"The... what?" Swaine questioned. "Give us some damn answers, or at least some sort of clue! My memory's a total blank outside of two facts: You've been stalking us, and you've just tried to kill us!"

Oliver slowly approached her, and she tensed. "Please." he said calmly. "We don't want to fight, and we'd like to help. But you have to help us out, too- if you could just tell us something that could help jog Swaine's memory, that would help."

The girl only glared at Oliver... yet, something about his calm approach and kind tone made her loosen up- only for a bit. Plus, he was a wizard, she could tell- and she had never fought a wizard before. Just standing next to him, she could feel he could match her level, maybe even be above it! _Dammit, how could Swaine have such a powerful ally? _she thought, then sighed. "Fine... I'll show you a picture, but that's it!"

"A picture?" Esther repeated.

"That's what I said, blondie- do you have cotton in your ears?" The drifter took out her pack, hidden under some bushes, and pulled out her journal, flipping through it until she came to a specific page, where there was an ink-sketch. "Here, this is what you stole. Remember now?"

Swaine looked at the picture. It appeared to be a jewel in a golden diamond-heart-shaped frame, the edges of the middle seeming to form a cross. _It does look familiar... wait a minute... _he thought. "I remember stealing a necklace like that- back when I was sixteen!" he said, as the memory began to surface.

"That long ago? Boy, no wonder you couldn't remember," Oliver replied.

"Yeah... I kind of remember... I was running down a beach, met a little girl who was wearing it, and tricked... her... into... giving it... to... me." He slowed down, turning and looking at the girl before him. "You?! You're trying to kill me over some necklace?!"

Mr. Drippy took a look at the picture, and jumped back in shock. "Blimey! That's no ordinary necklace, mun! That's th' Azen!" he shouted in alarm.

"The what?" Oliver repeated.

"How do you know about it?" The drifter questioned, shutting her journal.

"Who doesn't know about it?! That necklace has been passed down for centuries! It's a powerful gem that was used to seal away Senkrad!" he told them.

"Who?" Esther asked.

Mr. Drippy groaned in frustration. "Flippin' heck! Don't tell me you've never heard of th' legend of Senkrad!"

"Lets say we haven't," Swaine scoffed. "Who or what was Senkrad?"

"He was a dark creature, who mastered in th' darkest magic- they say he was th' one who created th' manna-spell! An' worst, his power was so strong, he could get into th' minds of others and corrupt 'em, like, and was out to turn all nations against each other! One day, all the Great Sages and rulers of every kingdom came together against him, an' one ruler, Lady Alpha of Kaninesas, had created th' Azen- which held a power mighty enough to defeat Senkrad, as it was powered by matters of the heart: love, hope, an' faith, see? Using it an' comin' together, they managed to seal Senkrad away in a prison where he could no longer use his evil spells."

"Well if he's been sealed away, what's there to worry about with the Azen?" Esther asked.

"The Azen was used to seal Senkrad away... but it can also be used to unleash him," The drifter answered, clenching her fists. "Lady Alpha passed it down to the most trustworthy of her people after her passing... for thousands of years, it was passed down amongst the citizen's of Kaninesas, only to those most trustworthy... I was the keeper of it, to make sure it would never fall into the wrong hands," she glared darkly at Swaine. "And YOU stole it!" She then lunged, but Oliver and Esther managed to grab her by the arms, holding her back. "You bastard! Because of you, I lost everything, and now... arrgh, would you brats let me go?!"

"Calm down, already!" Swaine snapped. "Look, I didn't bloody know anything about that necklace! I just thought it was some trinket! ...But I'll get it back for you, I promise. I remember trading it for something back in the Rolling Hills,"

"Why should I listen to you?!"

The thief gave her a hard look. "Because I'm the only chance you've got. And if you'd rather kill me, fine- go ahead... But it won't help you get that gem back. The choice is up to you. You can either work with us and get the Azen back, or risk Oliver shooting you with another spell in battle and forget ever getting it back."

The girl glared intensely at him for a minute or so. Finally, she jerked out of Esther and Oliver's grips, then stormed past Swaine, down the beach. She turned and looked back at them. "Well, c'mon! You want to find the Azen, or are you wanting to unleash darkness upon the world?"

The others followed her, heading back to the ship. As they walked, Swaine couldn't help but feel angry and guilty. This girl was just now telling them that some necklace he stole was actually a powerful amulet... and because of his petty thieving, he probably put the world at risk.

_I wish I just stayed home... _the thief thought, regretfully.

*0*0*0*

_So, this is Oliver, the Pure-Hearted One, huh? _The drifter thought, giving a glance at the young wizard as they walked. _I didn't expect him to be a kid. I guess they're right- heroes do come in all shapes and sizes._

"So where have you've been all this time, Ollie-boy?" That fairy, Mr. Drippy, asked him.

"Yeah, what took you so long to come back?" Swaine joked.

"I... kind of got caught up in a few things back in my world," Oliver replied, and from his tone the drifter sensed he was hesitant in giving a full reason. "I didn't realize it had been so long until I really started to miss you guys. ...I've actually been looking all over for you!"

"Ya should've come an' visited ME first," Mr. Drippy said.

"I know... That's actually how I ended up here. I would have sooner, but I got caught up in helping out a few people with some favors, then I went to Hamelin to see Marcassin- I was actually hoping to run into you guys there. We practiced a few spells, and I asked him if he wanted to come along when I decided to continue travelling, but he said he wanted to stay and take care of his kingdom, but he'd tag along after he got done with some trading business."

"Well, we'll go see him as soon as we wrap up our stalker-business," Swaine replied.

The girl gave him a glare. "Watch it, thief..." she sneered.

"By the way, what's your name?" Esther asked her.

"Why should I tell you?"

"It's either tell us, or we can keep calling you 'stalker', 'crazy', or 'necklace-girl'. Again, your choice." Swaine commented.

The girl sneered. "Fine. My name is Abyssa. Happy now?"

"Abyssa? That's a nice name," Oliver said, politely.

"Whatever. C'mon, pick up the pace!" She stormed ahead, the group following, and she could feel them giving her vicious looks.

The sooner she got the Azen back, the sooner she could ditch that thief and his friends.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Well, we got a little of the mystery solved, and finally I can have my OC go by her name rather than calling her 'the girl' or 'the drifter'! ...And how do you like my new set-up for the plot? Hope it makes the story a little more interesting.**

**Reviewer Thanks, Once Again!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Thank you. Actually, I couldn't think of a good sound-effect for casting a spell, so I just put 'zap'. (Lame, I know); Yeah, sorry I didn't give enough detail on Marcassin's part, but don't worry, he'll be back ;)

**Review, nit-pick, don't flame... you know the drill. **


	22. Doubt

**~Chapter Twenty-Two~**

**Doubt**

There was quite a commotion once the small group reached the ship. First, all the sailors were scattered about, searching for signs of their escaped captive- the moment they spotted her coming up the beach, they ran towards her. If Oliver hadn't stepped up, chances were another fight would have taken place. "Wait! She's with us!" The young wizard exclaimed.

"She is? That lass has caused more than enough trouble, lad!" Sindbah scoffed.

"I-I know... but we managed to resolve things. We're going to help her find something Swaine stole from her. We're on good terms now,"

"Speak for yourself..." Swaine murmured, and Esther nudged him to keep quiet.

"Hmm... Alright, Oliver, I trust your word- but me crew and I will be keeping a sharp eye on her. One sign of trouble, and she's back in the brig," Sindbah replied, then gave a chuckle. "Quite a crew ye tend to gather- first you befriend a thief, now you befriend his foe. Ye truly have quite the heart, lad. This should be an interesting voyage."

_It won't be if you compare me to that thief again, 'matey'. _Abyssa thought with a scowl.

They walked on board the ship, and the drifter immediately went down to the resting quarters, finding a vacant room, locking the door, and decided to update her journal.

_'Day 3 of Winter_

_On board of the Sea Cow_

_An odd turn of events has taken place. While in attempt to get Swaine in jail via framing him (again) I ended up encountering him and Esther face-to-face, leading to combat... I would have been victorious if their friend, who happened to be Kublai of the Sky Pirates (seriously?!) had not ambushed me._

_I managed to escape from the brig when the ship docked on an island... and on that island was a colony of Fairies! Actual, flippin' Fairies! I would have had a good look around, if I hadn't been in a hurry for my next act: kidnapping Esther. It was another glorious battle- I managed to get that thief down to his knees... but his friend regained consciousness and struck me from behind. Worst yet, she had the ability to heal with that harp of hers! Of course, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle, the girl wasn't much of an opponent and I managed to defeat them..._

_Or, I came close to, at least. That's when the wizard, Oliver, hit me with a spell and saved their lives (note to self: be more aware of sneak-attacks!). It felt so weird meeting the savior of the world... for one thing, I didn't expect him to be a young boy- and with so much power! Just standing next to him, I almost feel inferior. (ALMOST). _

_What's most surprising about the young wizard is how he managed to persuade me to work with him and his friends, as if just by using his voice he managed to put a calming spell over me. Perhaps that's why he's the Pure-Hearted One- his words can soothe even the most savage of souls. _

_So now, I'm on a ship with a wizard, a healer, and that stupid thief... and this fairy friend of theirs whose name escapes me- I think it was Mr. Dippy or something like that. No matter- I plan on ditching them once I get the Azen back, so there's no reason to get familiar with them. I just hope I can avoid any contact with Swaine._

"What the bloody hell happened to my bed?!" came a shout down the hall, belonging to Swaine.

Abyssa paused- she forgot about the slight chaos of her escape act last night. She sighed, writing one more sentence before deciding to rest.

_'...God give me strength to survive this trip...'_

*0*0*0*

Oliver, Esther and Swaine had gone down to their rooms, deciding to get some rest... though were shocked to see that Swaine's bed had been shoved against the adjacent wall, flipped on its side, with a rope tied to one leg of it and dangling out the window. "Jeepers... what happened?!" Oliver gasped.

"I have one guess..." Swaine groused, then got to work fixing his bed, while muttering the words, "I'm going to kill that girl." over and over.

"I can't say I don't blame him," Esther said to Oliver as he followed her into her room, and she took out her harp, the strings still sliced. "Just look what she did to my harp!"

"I can fix it with the Rejuvinate spell," Oliver said, casting the spell, and the harp was as good as new.

Esther sighed with relief. "Thank you, Oliver... I'm so happy you're here! Travelling just hasn't been the same without you!" she sat on her bed, looking up at him with eager eyes. "So, tell me all that's happened in Motorville! How is Myrtle doing?"

"She's doing fine," Oliver put his wand away, sitting on the floor across from her. "She's been working pretty hard at the Milk Bar. She and Phillip tend to bicker once in a while- actually, they reminded me of you and Swaine, and that's what really jogged my memory to come back here."

Esther giggled. "Very funny. ...So, what have you've been up to? Anything interesting happen?"

Oliver shrugged. He wanted to tell Esther about the agent, how he might be sent away, and the reason he came back was to find a new home... but considering the circumstances, he didn't want to cause them any extra worry. He'd tell them once things had calmed down and they found the Azen. "A new family moved to town," he told her instead. "They have one son and two little girls."

"Oh! What are they like?"

"The girls are pretty friendly- they like to play dolls outside. Once in a while they invite Myrtle to play games with them. But the son just sits around and reads... I guess he's pretty shy."

"I see. I hope we can see them sometime,"

Oliver only nodded. "So, what about you and Swaine? When did you guys start travelling together?"

Esther thought back. "Well, it was just a couple months after you left, I think... I was helping my father at the babana stand, when Swaine came along, telling us he decided to travel before ruling with Marcassin, and asked me if I wanted to come along- of course, I said yes because I was starting to miss seeing the world. We visited every town, caught up with friends, and went to see Marcassin- Swaine did promise to check back with him often, so there wouldn't be much worry."

Oliver smiled. "Marcassin said the same thing." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "He's actually working on the Foresee spell, to keep an eye on Swaine- don't tell him though,"

Esther giggled. "I won't. How's it working for him?"

"Pretty good. I gave him Mornstar so he'd have enough power for it. We practiced some spells the other day, and he believed it would suffice greatly. ...Anyway, what else happened on your trips?"

"Not much. It kind of started to grow tiresome- especially when fighting beasts and camping out. When we went back to Al Mamoon to tell my father about our trip, I caught Swaine pacing around our sitting room. He told me there was a lot on his mind, and how he was regretting all the bad things he had done before meeting us... So that's when we decided to take on a quest for him to redeem himself and make amends. It had a good start, a lot of people forgave him..." Esther paused, slouching a bit. "Then Abyssa came along,"

"What's this? Chattin' without ol' Drippy, are ya?" the Lord High Lord of the Fairies exclaimed, entering the room.

"Oh, Mr. Drippy! Where have you've been?" Oliver asked. He didn't notice the fairy's absence.

"Decided to head to th' galley for a snack, I did. What have you two been talkin' bout?"

"Just our travels," Esther replied. "Why don't you tell Oliver what you've been up to, Mr. Drippy?"

"Aye, there's tidy! Well, Ollie-boy, you'll be proud to know youer ol' fairy-friend is in show-business again! Doin' stand-up, I was, bringin' in th' laughs... 'Course, once I learned Thief-Face and Esthy-girl here were in a tight spot, I decided to take time off an' help 'em out, like. No tellin' what kind o' trouble they'd get into without my assistance!"

"Yes, your Tidy Tears really saved us back there in battle," Esther replied.

"Aye, that girl is mighty fierce- haven't seen anyone so stubborn to accept help since Swaine,"

"You did _not _just compare me to that girl," came a stern voice, as Swaine entered the room.

"It's true, en't it? Anyone with a broken-heart can be stubborn... an' you an' that girl are th' most stubborn people I know!"

Swaine turned to Oliver. "I'm going to drop-kick him if he doesn't watch his mouth..."

"Wait, so she's just broken-hearted? I thought all the hearts were restored after we defeated Shadar!" Esther questioned.

"Ya think it would be that easy, wouldn't ya? You think if we killed Swaine all th' things he stole would just magically appear back to their original owners? It doesn't work that way, mun."

Swaine gave the fairy a glare, clenching his fists. "So... what piece is she missing?" Oliver asked the fairy, before the thief would take out his gun and shoot him. "Maybe if we restore it, she'll be nicer."

"Trust, it looks like. ...But restoring it won't be so easy. She's closed up her heart, she has."

"Like what I did? ...Poor thing, I wonder what happened to her?" Esther replied.

"So how to we open it?" Swaine asked.

"We'll have to find her soul-mate. Whatever problem they're having, we need to resolve it." Mr. Drippy replied.

Oliver rubbed his chin. "I don't think I know anyone in Motorville who resembles Abyssa," he replied, thinking hard.

"Does everyone's soul-mates always have to be in Motorville? Hasn't anyone considered that her soul-mate could be anywhere in the world?" Swaine pointed out.

"What makes you say that?" Esther asked. "He found everyone's soul-mates in Motorville!"

"Everyone's? Think hard, Esther."

Oliver didn't have to think much, after remembering all the soul-mates he met. "Wait... we never met yours, Swaine!" he realized.

"Exactly. My soul-mate could be anywhere in your world, Oliver. Same goes for Abyssa's."

"Well, we'll just have to look, won't we?" Mr. Drippy replied. "If we don't mend that girl's heart, she's going to be more trouble than she's worth!"

Oliver nodded. "Lets get some rest, first. It's been a long morning,"

Everyone agreed, and Swaine, Oliver, and Mr. Drippy walked out of Esther's room.

The young wizard looked down the hall, just in time to see another door close, but not before catching a glance of the drifter's face.

*0*0*0*

**A/N: Just got back from the longest trip ever, so writing this chapter helped me relax. Hope you all enjoyed it too! (By the way, am I the only one miffed that we never got to see Swaine's soul-mate? Seriously, he's one of the main characters yet his soul-mate is a total mystery! ...ah well, I think I'm being too much of a nerd about it)**

**And yes, they'll be going to Motorville... but not for a while. For one thing, Abyssa really wants that Azen back, and since the world is probably in jeopardy because it's missing, a soul-searching trip may have to wait. (That and I'm saving it for later- yeah, throw your bricks if you must, but that's the way I write)**

**And now for some Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Yeah, I felt it would need a good twist like that; And thanks.

**Titanicspaz: **Yep, there's one part of the mystery solved; As they keep saying in the game, "Nothing's ever so easy, is it?" XD Glad you're enjoying it!

**Review. Nit-Pick. Don't flame. Repeat.**


	23. Storm Season

**~Chapter 23~**

**Storm Season**

_'Day 6 of Winter_

_The middle of the flippin' desert_

_The voyage back to Castaway Cove went by smoothly without any problems... personally because I chose to stay in my room most of the voyage and avoid any interaction with Oliver, Esther, Mr. Dip, and that stupid thief. _

_From what he recalled, Swaine traded the Azen for some provisions from a tribe living on the edge of the Deep Dark Wood. After I was done pointing out what an idiot he is, we went on our way._

_This trip only began to go slowly when Oliver insisted on helping people out, bringing the quest to a grinding flippin' halt. And it wasn't anything urgent- this kid delivered food, helped a little girl grow some flowers, showed this nerdy-looking guy some familiars... this is the kind of kid who would help an old lady cross the street! It was aggravating, but I'm wise enough not to criticize a wizard- no matter how small he is, this kid is loaded with power. Plus, it earned us some guilders, and only took only a few hours out of our trip... each day..._

_But, I can't complain about Oliver too much._

_Swaine, on the other hand, is one word away from an early grave._

*0*0*0*0*

"You couldn't resist helping that guy catch some pigeons, could you?" Abyssa muttered to Oliver as the group walked across the desert, the sun sinking in the distance.

"Hey, we got a Moon Gem out of the deal, didn't we?" Swaine remarked.

"I just wanted to help," Oliver spoke up quickly. "I always lend a hand to people who need help,"

"Some people need to learn how to help themselves," Abyssa replied. "You shouldn't waste your time with every little problem,"

"That's not very nice. What if someone wasn't able to take care of something, and no one else offered any help?" Esther retorted.

"Hey, I didn't say to be a shallow jerk. I meant if someone has a task they're able to do by themselves, they can do it _by themselves_. It's only when large favors come up that you should lend a hand- like if something is missing, or there's a bounty that needs hunting, or a criminal to catch. I always aim for the big things like that- that's how I managed to make it in this world,"

"I still like to help out- there's a lot of reward in doing small favors, too." Oliver replied.

"A little girl gave us 5 guilders and a flower for fixing her doll. Not too rewarding..."

"I'm not talking about what you get in return... For me, it's more about showing everyone there's still people in the world kind enough to help out,"

_Flippin' heck, this kid is a complete saint! _Abyssa thought. "You're just too generous for your own good, aren't you?"

"If he wasn't, he would've put a hex on you and wouldn't be helping you out now," Swaine sneered.

Abyssa gave the thief a dark look. "Unless you want to find out if you have the talent for catching knives in your mouth, I suggest you shut it!"

Mr. Drippy hopped up on Swaine's shoulder. "Oi, looks like she's still mighty cold towards ya, Thief-Face," he commented.

"You would be too, if he traded a powerful stone for a sandwich,"

"For the last time, I didn't KNOW it was powerful! Second, if you had been wandering the hills without food for over a week, you'd trade anything for a bite to eat, too!" Swaine argued.

"Pshh. I've been wandering these hills since I was a kid, and I always knew how to keep my provisions in-check,"

"Yeah, right... I've been wandering them a lot longer than you, and I know how tough it can get!"

"I knew that before I became a drifter and prepared myself."

"I still have more experience,"

"Huh, yeah... If that were true, you'd have been able to beat me in a fight- and wouldn't be dressed as a hobo."

"Alright, that's it-!" Swaine began to lunge at Abyssa, but Esther grabbed him by the arm.

"Swaine..." Esther warned.

"Ollie-boy, if ya don't mind, could we Fast-Travel to ouer destination?" Mr. Drippy asked the young wizard. "Ya know, BEFORE those two rip out each other's throats?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I think I've got enough magic." he said, holding up Astra.

"Fast Travel? What's-" Abyssa began to ask, but couldn't finish as Oliver cast the spell. The world around her seemed to spin, and when she blinked, they were outside the Deep Dark Wood. "...that?"

"Just ouer way of gettin' round quicker, Abby-girl. All we have to do is pick a location, an' Ollie-boy waves his wand, an' one-two-three we've covered miles in seconds!" Mr. Drippy replied.

"Okay... so why couldn't he have done that before?"

"Geez, mun! Ya think magic has no limits? Most spells take a bit of power, y'know- th' more ya use, th' less energy ya have, see? Why do ya think we drink so much coffee for?"

"Alright, alright, alright- Magic has limits! I got it, Mr. Dipper,"

"_Drippy, _lass! Get it right! Oi! Bad 'nough ya let this bum handle th' Azen, now you're gettin' names mixed up! Heaven help ya, Abby!"

Abyssa gave a glare, then turned to Oliver. "I'm going to shoot him,"

"Um... c'mon, the tribe is this way," Oliver replied awkwardly, walking beside Abyssa in the front while the others followed.

They walked up to one villager, a small boy with short hair, sitting beside an old man. "Boy! I know you!" the little boy exclaimed. "Boy save forest from Rhinobore!"

"Oh, hi! I didn't think you remembered us," Oliver replied.

"Never forget hero." the boy looked at Abyssa. "Remember girl, too! Girl once stayed in hut!"

The others looked at Abyssa. "What? It's not that unusual for a drifter to spend the night somewhere, is it?" she scoffed. "Didn't think the kid would remember so much..."

"Always remember friend," the boy then held up his wrist, showing a bracelet that matched Abyssa's, but with green gems instead of yellow. "Gave me this before leaving. You good friend,"

Swaine quickly coughed "yeahright", earning a glare from both Esther and Abyssa.

"Um... right. Maybe you could help us out," Abyssa said to the boy, then took out her journal, showing him the picture of the Azen. "Does anyone here have a necklace that looks like this?"

The boy scratched his head. "Don't remember that." he replied.

The old man, however, spoke up. "Remember it. Young man once gave it to wife, for food." he said.

"Really? That's great! Is she around, can we talk to her?" Oliver asked.

The old man shook his head. "Wife gone."

"Oh..."

"But, do you have the necklace?" Abyssa asked the old man.

Again, the old man shook his head. "Necklace gone too. Gave it to traveller, for nice clothes."

"Dammit!"

"Do you remember what this traveller looked like?" Oliver asked the old man.

"Had mustache. Wore hat. Was hefty."

"Anything else?" Esther asked. "Does he come by often?"

"Only time traveller returned was to retrieve diary."

Abyssa's face suddenly paled, remembering such a character. _Oh, no... _she thought.

"Um, thank you." Oliver replied, and they walked away.

"I can't believe it..." Abyssa groaned. "Of all people, why did it have to be some guy who can't even keep a hold on his diary?!"

"Youe've met him too, huh?" Mr. Drippy asked.

"It's okay, we can ask him if he still has it," Oliver replied. "I'm sure he does,"

"Dude, weren't you listening? The man keeps losing his diary! The Azen could be anywhere in the world!" Abyssa replied, bitterly.

"We don't know that... all we know is that he keeps losing his diary." Esther replied. "I'm sure he keeps track of everything else..."

"God willing..."

"Well, the last time I saw that man, he was in Al Mamoon." Oliver said. "Maybe he's still there. We can Fast Travel there and see-"

The earth began to rumble just then, as suddenly the largest herd of ulk Oliver had ever seen stampeded towards them, along with several other beasts. "Damn!" Abyssa gasped, and ran towards an undergrowth.

"Wait for us!" Esther called as they followed her, and they ducked under the coverage as the large stampede ran overhead. The desert-girl, wizard, thief and fairy huddled together, while the drifter kept herself pressed against the side, all of them remaining still until the last creature ran up the opposite hill.

"What the hell was that all about?!" Swaine asked as they stepped out.

"Creatures always head to higher ground during the final days of the Storm season," Abyssa replied. "Geez, and you said you travelled all your life?!"

"But... I thought the storms were supposed to stop by the start of Winter!" Esther spoke up.

"The regular storms, yes... but nature always goes out with a blast. Within the first week of Winter, there's always a final round of the most hazardous storms- and we happen to be in a flash flood area, thus the reason why all those beasts were heading up the hills."

"Ah, yes, Nature's Final Blow, as we call it. I nearly forgot about that," Mr. Drippy spoke up.

Abyssa looked to the skies, seeing some gray clouds rolling in overhead. "We'll have to get to higher ground or to the desert, fast. Once it starts pouring, it won't stop until tomorrow afternoon. By the time that happens, half the hills will be one big river."

"Guess we'll be using quite a bit of Fast Travel, like,"

"Right, lets head to Al Mamoon and find a place to-" Oliver began to say, until a flash of lightening cut him off, and it began to downpour.

It rained so hard, they could barely see, and after ten seconds the field was already starting to look more like the wetlands. "Uh, Oliver, anytime you'd like to use that spell would be great!" Swaine cried.

"I would suggest NOW," Abyssa demanded.

Oliver already had his wand raised... however, a dark shape raced by him and knocked it out of his hand. "Ack! Oh no!" he cried out, hearing the wand hit the water, which was now rising above two inches.

"Oh crap, what now?!"

"S-Something knocked the wand out of my hand!" Oliver got on his knees, searching around the water for the wand. "Help me look!"

Everyone got down, hurriedly searching for the wand. Swaine saw something out of the corner of his eye, and looked up. Lightening flashed, revealing a stranger with a hood over their face, but they disappeared after the second flash. "Huh?" Swaine asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I found it!" Esther exclaimed, holding up Astra and handing it to Oliver. "Hurry, lets get out of here!"

There was a roaring-crashing sound, and they looked ahead...

...seeing a large wave of water coming right at them!

"Too late! We'd better start runnin'!" Mr. Drippy shouted.

Everyone ran as fast as they could go, trying to outrun the wave, but the water had risen up to their knees and the tide was coming in too fast. Within moments, the wave crashed over them, and they were caught in the current, being rushed downhill. They all surfaced, trying to get to stable ground, but the current kept a firm hold on them. "Over here!" Oliver shouted, finding a log and climbing on. He caught Esther by the hand, while Swaine pulled himself on, Mr. Drippy hanging on to the collar of his jacket. "Where's Abyssa?"

"Over here!" came a shout, and everyone looked...

...seeing the drifter on, what Oliver believed to be, a surfboard!

"What are you doing?!" Esther called.

"Just using my Wave Rider, what's it look like?" Abyssa steered the board closer to them. "Hang on! It's going to be a rough ride!" she pointed ahead, seeing a steep slant... that ended at the base of a hill!

"Oh, bloody heelllllllll!" Swaine screamed as the waves practically tossed them downstream, at one point they collided with Abyssa's board, Mr. Drippy landing on the tip of it and 'hanging ten' as it appeared.

*SPLASH!*

They hit the hill, the log and Wave Rider washing up next to their passengers. "Man... that went better than last time," Abyssa stated, picking up her board and sticking back in her bottomless bag.

"Where... did you get that thing?!" Esther asked, as she never came across such an item in Abyssa's pack.

"Got it off a local in Castaway Cove, he said it would catch on... I doubted it, but bought one off him just to be nice. Turns out it came in handy in situations like this,"

"It's just like a surfboard," Oliver pointed out. "We have them in my world, people take them to the beach all the time,"

"Really? Huh, guess that peddler was in his right mind after all. ...So, are you going to cast a Fast Travel spell, or what? Because I doubt Mother Nature is going to take it easy on us,"

Oliver nodded, quickly casting the spell before any other interruptions could take place, and they were soon out of the rain and in the city of Al Mamoon, the sun already gone down and the moon high in the starry sky. "How about if we check into the Cat's Cradle for tonight?" the young wizard suggested. "We can get a lead on that traveller in the morning,"

"I agree, we've been through enough for today as it is," Esther replied. "And I'd like to change into some dry clothes,"

Abyssa sighed heavily- she really wanted to keep searching for that Azen. "Fine... but we leave at first light," she said, sternly.

They went into the hotel, and Oliver turned to the group. "So, who wants to bunk with who?" he asked, as he always did whenever they stayed somewhere.

Abyssa looked away, crossing her arms. "I can afford my own room, thanks."

"...Just as long as you don't kidnap anyone," Swaine remarked... then got an elbow to the ribs, courtesy of the drifter. "Oof! Dammit, it was a joke!"

"Well, get some new material, you jackass!"

"Eh, I agree, dat was a bit dry," Mr. Drippy replied, earning a glare from the thief.

"Um... we'd like some rooms, please." Oliver asked the Purrprietor.

"Of course! But we only have one left fur the night," the grimalkin replied. "We're always booked durring this time of year,"

_Go flippin' figure... _Abyssa thought, bitterly. Suddenly, a walk through the rain wasn't sounding too bad.

"Thank you," Oliver replied, paying for the room. They walked upstairs, thankful to find it had two beds instead of one. The wizard turned to Abyssa and Esther. "You two can change first,"

"Alright," Esther replied, walking in.

Abyssa didn't follow. "I'll, um, go in after her," she said, leaning against the wall.

"Okay, if you insist," Oliver replied.

After that was awkward silence. _I wonder why she's so shy, _Oliver wondered. _Could it be because of her closed-heart? But, it's not really that closed, is it? When Esther was heart-broken and kept her heart closed, she didn't seem to care much about anything... Maybe it's a different case with Abyssa- maybe she closed it for a different reason._

Esther walked out just then, wearing pyjamas, and Abyssa walked in to change. "I've never been in such stormy weather like that before- off a ship, I mean." the desert-girl stated.

"Ah, but the rain-storms en't th' worst part, Esthy-girl." Mr. Drippy stated. "There be a lot worse over the lands- hurricanes an' tornados, earthquakes an' sandstorms, droughts an' blizzards..."

"You guys have some weird weather around here," Oliver replied, as he never really experienced all the natural hazards the fairy was listing when he first started roaming.

"Only around the start of Winter, Ollie-Boy, an' thankfully the season only lasts a couple months,"

"Really? Just two months of Winter?"

"Aye- but if ya want more, ya can head to th' Winterlands."

"But, if it's Winter... why isn't there any snow?"

"Each continent has its own set-climate," Esther explained to him. "But each season effects each one differently. For instance, during Winter in Al Mamoon, we get an intense sandstorm."

"And in Autumnia, we have to deal with tornados," Swaine added. "But we do get a bit of frost, considering we live close to the Winterlands."

"And during th' second month of Winter, th' temperature drops down quite a bit round th' Rollin' Hills," Mr. Drippy added. "With an exception of th' desert, everyone everywhere has to go round wearing coats an' sweaters... an' it gets horrid in th' Winterlands! Once th' whole village of Yule had to migraite to th' Summerlands so they wouldn't get wiped out by frostbite!"

"Jeepers," Oliver replied.

"Enough with the weather chat, for the moment," Swaine said. "I think I saw something back in the Rolling Hills, after Oliver lost his wand... I saw someone standing on a hill, watching us."

"Who?" Esther asked.

"I don't know, they disappeared after the lightening flashed... But whoever it was, I think they're to blame for keeping you from using Fast Travel during the flood,"

"Ah, just what we need, another stalker..." Mr. Drippy groaned.

The door opened and Abyssa stepped out- rather than pyjamas, she just changed into a dry tunic- this one a dark-blue color- and black cargo pants, and her hair was tied back in a low pony-tail. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Swaine thought he saw someone in the Hills," Oliver replied. "They might have been responsible for making me lose my wand. ...Um, no one else knows about The Azen, do they?"

Abyssa thought for a moment. "Just my parents, but they're long-gone," she replied.

"What happened?" Esther asked.

"None of your damn business, blondie. The only thing I can say is that I haven't seen them in years, and I'm happy about it. So are you guys going to change, or stand around looking like drowned rats?"

Swaine was the first to enter the room, muttering 'Stubborn brat' as he did. Oliver followed, along with Mr. Drippy. Esther turned to Abyssa, feeling awkward and nervous. "So... no one else knows about the Azen?" she asked.

"No... unless you lot keep bringing it up and spreading the word. I recommend keeping your mouth shut about it- and keep it shut after we find it. People find out where it's at, and God knows who'll get their grimy hands on it,"

"I won't say a word. You can count on me for that,"

"Pfft. Sure."

Esther stood there in silence. _I wonder why she won't trust us... You'd think she wouldn't be so stubborn, considering we're helping her out! And why doesn't she want to talk about her parents... and why is she glad they're gone? _she thought. Something about the drifter left her both angry and sympathetic- the girl wasn't giving much information, but something horrible must have happened in her life that would cause her to shut everyone out. _Well, at least she's given us a little more information than she did when we first met her... _

The door opened, showing Swaine, Oliver, and Mr. Drippy changed into their pyjamas, and the girls entered the room. Esther lied down in one bed with Mr. Drippy while Swaine and Oliver shared the other... and Abyssa made herself comfortable in an easy-chair across the room. Esther wanted to ask her if she wanted to share a bed, but held her tongue- from the way the drifter acted, there was little to no chance she would accept.

They turned out the lights, and everyone fell asleep, Esther once in a while looking over at Abyssa, seeing how she curled up tight in the chair, keeping her back to them. _Poor girl... _was all she could think.

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Yeah, I'm trying to drag out the journey as far as I can, as you can see. And we know why Abyssa hates her parents... but the reason behind her abandonment is what drove her to be the way she is, so there's still a little more mystery to her character. **

**Reviewer Thanks, coming right up!**

**Mike AZ 2: **True, but often times it's why a person is heartbroken that makes a story, plus I like to try to keep true to the game's universe; The heart can hold many feelings, though 'trust' could probably be redefined as something else, like 'faith' or 'belief'; I keep imagining they'll make a sequel that features that.

**Titanicspaz: **Sequel, that's all I can say, lol; and thanks again!

**Loving the reviews and nit-picks- flames shall forever be despised. **


	24. Scavenger Hunt!

**~Chapter 24~**

**Yay, A Scavenger Hunt!**

_Oliver looked around, finding himself back in Motorville. The town was dark, the streetlights out, the only light coming from a blue moon. 'Huh? How did I get back here?' the young wizard thought, confused. _

_"Oliver..." came a whisper from all directions._

_"Who's there?" He gasped, looking around._

_"Oliver... I'm coming for you..."_

_"H-Huh?" He turned, seeing a silhouette at the end of the street, their face covered by the shadows, as they seemed to shoot towards him-_

*0*0*0*0*

Swaine was in a deep, comfortable sleep, possibly dreaming of being asleep, totally relaxed in his slumber...

That's when Oliver woke him by accident.

*Whap!*

"Gah!" Swaine yelled when the young wizard's hand suddenly hit his face, causing him to roll out of bed with a *thud!*. "Oof!"

Oliver shot up, looking over the bed. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, Swaine!" he stammered.

"...there has GOT to be a better way to wake up in the mornings..." the thief muttered, then looked up at Oliver. "What was _that _about?!"

"I-I just had a nightmare, I didn't mean to hit you,"

There was the sound of stifled snickering, and they looked over, seeing that Esther, Mr. Drippy, and even Abyssa were up, and trying to contain their laughter. "Um... morning!" Esther said, a wide grin on her face.

"Oi, Ollie-boy! Ya sure know how to give ol' Thief-Face a wake-up call!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed, busting out laughing.

"I'm sorry it wasn't me," Abyssa added.

Swaine grumbled, standing up and brushing himself off. "Yeah, yeah, have a laugh why don't you?" he sneered, grabbing his pack and walking into the connecting bathroom.

"Well, since we're all up, we might as well get some breakfast and head out," Esther suggested.

"I think, next to seeing Oliver slap Swaine, that's the only thing I can agree on." Abyssa replied.

"Well, lets get a move on, shall we?" Mr. Drippy piped up.

Once everyone had gotten dressed and got some breakfast, they walked around Al Mamoon, asking if anyone had seen the traveller. They went to Raj, who was glad to see the young wizard again. "Oliver! I was just talking about you the other day! How glad am I that you've returned!" he exclaimed. "Would you like some curry? On the house!"

"Thank you, but we're looking for someone right now and were wondering if you knew where to find him?" Oliver said, and described the traveller who always lost his diary.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Jones. He comes by here all the time during his travels. I actually spoke to him the other day, he said he was going to Castaway Cove."

"And there's another long trek for us," Swaine muttered.

"Would you care for something for the road?" Raj asked, once again offering some curry.

"That sounds wonderful!" Esther said, and they took some curry in a large bowl with a lid on it, waving goodbye to Raj as they left. They passed by the babana stand, seeing that it was closed. "I wonder where father went off to?"

"Must be on one of his travels, he said he likes to take a trip once in a while," Oliver replied. "Maybe we'll run into him,"

"Hopefully Rashaad is having more fun than we are," Swaine added.

"Rashaad?" Abyssa asked.

"Aye, one of the Great Sages! Haven't ye heard of him?" Mr. Drippy asked the drifter.

"Just a little, I don't pay attention to much in the world,"

The others gave her a curious glance. "I suppose you don't know anything about the White Witch, or the manna-outbreak then, right?" Swaine questioned.

"Never heard of either. I must have been spending time in the mountains during then,"

"What about Shadar?"

Abyssa froze, remembering her nightmare/memory of her old village burning down, seeing the Dark Djinn hovering above it... "Y-Yeah, well, who wouldn't know Shadar?" she turned to Oliver. "How did you manage to defeat him, anyway? ...How did you even come across this place, if you came from another world?"

"It's kind of a long story," Oliver replied.

"And we've got a long trip, might as well kill time."

"Um, okay... well, it happened a long time ago. A friend of mine had built this car, and we took it out for a test-drive..."

*0*0*0*0*

Abyssa normally wasn't one to ask questions, but the feeling of having missed out on so much was getting to her... especially since she was travelling with a world-wide hero and barely knew much about him! So of course she had to know how this boy from a parallel world came to her world and defeated Shadar.

Oliver told her everything, from how he lost his mother, to Mr. Drippy coming alive, and finally to the revelation that he and Shadar had been soul-mates, their link shattered so the young wizard wouldn't die. "...And we travelled the world to see what all had changed," Oliver was wrapping up. "But just when we thought it was over, that's when we learned about the White Witch..."

"Interesting... you can continue the story later, though. We're here." Abyssa replied, as they entered Castaway Cove.

"She isn't phased by much, is she?" Swaine commented as Abyssa walked ahead of them, noticing the girl didn't seem to show much interest in the story, like she was just looking for an answer to her question.

"Yeah, most people always ask us for details, or what happened next." Esther added.

"Maybe she's just focused on getting the Azen back," Oliver replied, and they looked around Castaway Cove for the traveller, Mr. Jones, spotting him by the Hootenanny shop. "Excuse me, sir, mind if we ask you something?"

_Is this kid always so polite? _Abyssa wondered.

"Why, go ahead, dear boy! I'm in no hurry," Mr. Jones replied.

"Do you happen to have a necklace that looks like this?" Abyssa asked, showing him the picture of the Azen, wanting to hurry and get to the point, get the gem, and get back to her life.

"Hmm... it does look familiar... ah, yes, I had a necklace like that once!"

"...h-had?"

"Yes. Lovely little gem, it was. I gave it to a friend of mine, Purrofessor Tabitha, to show to her pupil, Ake, in Yule... I say, dear girl, are you alright?"

Everyone looked at Abyssa, seeing her eye twitching. "Excuse me..." she whispered, then walked outside the village.

"Is she going to be alright?" Mr. Jones asked the others.

"Give it a minute..." Swaine said.

"GAH! FLIPPIN' DAMMIT! SON OF A-" Abyssa was cursing behind a dune, sand being kicked everywhere... and a large Green Buncher was sent flying through the air, a few other desert-dwelling creatures scurrying and yelping. She came back, looking viciously angry, but had a calm expression when she turned to Mr. Jones and said, "Thank you for the information," before trudging ahead.

"I think she'll be fine, now," Swaine said to the traveller.

"Um, yes well, good to know. Carry on, now!" Mr. Jones replied, tipping his hat and going about his way.

The others caught up to Abyssa. "Well... I guess we're going to Yule now, huh?" Oliver said to Abyssa.

*SPLASH!*

Th drifter shoved Swaine off a deck and into the water. "Yep." she replied to Oliver after doing so.

Swaine surfaced, spewing out water. "_Rotten wretch, you're going to pay for that!" _he shouted, shaking his fist, then grumbled a few other curses as he climbed on a deck.

"Boy, this mornin' is jus' rollin' in th' laughs, en't it?" Mr. Drippy commented, while Oliver and Esther exchanged worried glances.

"Oliver, I think we should do something about Abyssa... before she and Swaine kill each other," Esther whispered.

"I know... if only I could mend her heart," Oliver replied, then turned to Mr. Drippy. "Are you sure it's closed, Mr. Drippy? She sure is acting differently than anyone else with a closed heart,"

"Aye... but sometimes it's th' reason why they closed it that affects 'em," Mr. Drippy replied.

"Right. I closed mine because my father gave up after a piece of it was stolen, and barely cared about anything. ...Abyssa must have a different reason, something that would cause her not to trust us, but desperate to still travel with us just to get back the Azen," Esther added, looking over at the drifter who was standing at the end of the docks, her back to them.

"So, she doesn't trust us but wants the Azen back; she wanted to know about me but wasn't that interested in the story I told..." Oliver said, trying to find some clue.

"She hates Swaine for stealin' th' Azen..." Mr. Drippy added.

"Wait... didn't she say something about her parents, too?" Esther spoke up.

"Hey! Are you guys coming or what?" Abyssa called from down the deck.

"We'll talk about it later... Maybe she'll open up a little more- she hasn't been too stubborn lately," Oliver replied.

"I think that's just because you're around and she doesn't want to get cursed," Swaine muttered, walking up behind them and wringing out his wet jacket. "Bloody hell, that girl is just asking for it!"

"C'mon, lets just Fast Travel to Yule," They walked over to Abyssa. "Ready?"

"I've been ready for the last five minutes." Abyssa scoffed.

Oliver nodded, then used Fast Travel. They found themselves outside the village of the snowy town of Yule. "Here we are,"

"Oh, it's more lovely than last time!" Esther exclaimed.

"GEEZ! IT'S FLIPPIN' COLD!" Abyssa cried, shivering.

"What, haven't you've ever been to the Winter Lands before?" Swaine remarked.

"I p-prefer to s-s-stay in a m-more w-w-warmer c-c-climate s-so I don't f-f-freeze to d-death, n-n-numbskull!"

"Well, for an 'experienced' traveller, you should know to carry clothes for all locations," Swaine pulled his snow-coat out of his pack, as did Oliver, Esther, and Mr. Drippy.

Abyssa only sneered. "P-p-pardon me f-for n-not f-f-following the d-d-dress c-code..."

"C'mon, we know the tomte who makes these. You can get one of your own," Oliver suggested, and they walked into the village.

"I'd r-r-rather s-save my g-guilders. W-W-We're j-just here to g-get b-back the A-Azen and g-get the f-f-flip back t-t-to our own l-l-lives... I d-d-doubt I'll be c-coming back,"

"It wouldn't hurt to have a coat on hand, just in case." Esther told her. "Plus, Purrofessor Tabitha might be out of town, so we may have to wait for her to get back."

Abyssa sighed, seeing her breath. "F-Fine, if it'll g-g-get you l-lot off my b-back..."

They walked on through the village. "And people say I'm cynical," Swaine whispered to Oliver, who chuckled.

What no one noticed was a silhouette standing around a corner, watching them.

*0*0*0*0*

"There, now doesn't that feel better?" Mr. Drippy commented.

Abyssa walked out, wearing a cream-colored winter coat, the hood pulled up, with a matching scarf and mittens, and boots. "Sure, Mr. Dipstick..." she muttered. "Now, where can we find Purrofessor Tabitha?"

"What the...?! You remember a name youe've only heard a couple times, but ya still can't get mine right?!"

Swaine stifled a laugh. "I think that last one came pretty close," he said. "I think she goes to Swift Solutions to post things,"

"Better hope she's there, Swine." Abyssa replied, walking ahead of the group.

The thief stood there, clenching his fists. "HA!" Mr. Drippy laughed in his face, hopping up in the air to do so.

Luck was on their side, for Ake was there. "Oh, you looking for my teacher, yes? She checked in at Cat's Cradle here in the village, said she would teach me new lessons. You go visit her?" the tomte said to them.

"Yes, we need to ask her something important," Oliver replied.

"Important? Yes, she may have answer."

"Thank you, Ake!" Esther said, as they walked out.

"I see you soon again, yes? Hope question gets good answer!"

Abyssa arched an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued by these new tomte creatures. _Oh, they're just giant piles of fur. You're not here on a field-trip, you're here for the Azen! _she told herself, shaking her head.

They walked over to the Cat's Cradle, where Purrofessor Tabitha happened to be walking out. "Oh, Oliver! I see you and your friends are visiting again. How nice to see you!" she said, then noticed Abyssa. "Abby! Why I haven't seen you in a while,"

"You know each other?" Esther asked Abyssa.

"She does look familiar..." Abyssa replied.

"Don't you remember? I took you in as a student when you were eleven, teaching you about a few locations you wanted to travel to. We used to go over lessons every week or so, until you went out on your own," Tabitha replied, smiling. "It's so nice to see one of my old pupils again. How have you've been? What have your travels been like?"

"Um, fine... but right now, we need some help," Abyssa showed her the Azen picture. "Do you happen to have this gem on you?"

Tabitha adjusted her glasses, looking at the picture. "Why, yes... I remember carrying that gem around, before. I showed it to Ake, who wanted to keep it, but I told him I was going to take it with me to show another purrofessor, to figure out where it came from."

"But do you still have it?"

The purrofessor sighed, shaking her head. "Sadly, I don't. On one of my expeditions, two years ago, our camp was raided by Sky Pirates, and they took it. ...Abby, are you alright? You look pale,"

Abyssa had a stunned look on her face. "Ugh... I'm fine..."

_Suddenly, this coat is feeling a little too hot... _she thought, giving Swaine a glare.

"Better get her out of here before she has another screaming-fit again," Mr. Drippy whispered to Oliver.

"Um, well thank you, Purrofessor Tabitha," Oliver replied. "We really need to get going now,"

"Okay. Come back again! I'd like to hear more about your travels!" Tabitha replied, waving to them as they walked off.

As they walked out of the village, Abyssa sat down on a rock, sighing. "Don't worry, Abyssa. We're good friends with Kublai, so he'll help us-" she began to say.

*SPLOT!*

Abyssa had packed a large snowball together and chucked it at Swaine, nailing him in the head. "Why you...! That's it!" The thief sputtered, then went to run after Abyssa, but Oliver held him back. "No, let me go! Just one shot to her head, that's all I'll take!"

"Well, c'mon, guys. Lets go visit your pirate-friends, shall we?" Abyssa said casually.

_I think Mr. Drippy was right. This girl really is trouble! _Esther thought, shaking her head. ...Even though it was funny to see Swaine getting a snowball to the face.

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Okay, stopping there for today, because I don't want to go through the whole trip in just one chapter... and I have other updates to get to. **

**So, yep, it's basically a scavenger hunt going down. One thing I have to focus on is bringing up the task of Swaine making up for his past, which we'll hopefully get back to soon. And what does Oliver's nightmare mean? That answer will come later in the story.**

**And here's the Reviewer Thanks!**

**Mike AZ 2: **You deserve a cookie for every good point you make; Thanks again!

**Please review, nit-pick if you must, but no flames!**


	25. Vertigo

**~Chapter 25~**

**Fears**

Once Swaine calmed down, Oliver was able to cast a Fast-Travel spell to Skull Mountain, call of them taking off their winter coats before entering the caves. Abyssa, however, was hesitant to enter the cavern, as the last time she saw Kublai, he had knocked her out during her first battle with Swaine and Esther. God knows what he would do if he saw her entering his hideout.

"Oy, Oliver! Long time no see!" A pirate called to the young wizard as they entered.

"Hey, Swaine, how's the royal life, ha ha!" Another called, jokingly.

"Who's yer pretty friend, boys?" Another pirate asked, eyeing Abyssa.

"Don't worry, just ignore them," Esther whispered to Abyssa. "They're actually more friendly than you think,"

"Pirates? Friendly? Were you dropped on your head when you were born?" Abyssa sneered.

"Ahoy!" came a voice in the caverns, and on the top-deck of the Iron Wyvern, Kublai stood, waving to them. "Swaine, Esther! Been a few days... and I see you've brought Oliver with you this time!" he looked at Abyssa. "And that warrior you did battle with, too! What be going on?"

"We're looking for something," Oliver said, as Abyssa automatically held up the picture of the Azen. "A long time ago, your men stole this necklace... do you still have it?"

Kublai rubbed his chin. "Ah, yes... that necklace was a real jinx it was, I'll never forget it."

"Jinx? What do you mean?" Esther asked.

"Ever since it got on our ship, many a bad thing happened. Supplies rotted within a day, the ship suffered many engine problems- so much, we couldn't even start her up without something catching fire! Half the crew got sick and were too lame to even lift their heads. Finally, we figured the gem was cursed, so we took it and gave it to some ghoul on the Tombstone Trail,"

"Jeepers..." Oliver whispered, then turned to Abyssa. "Can the Azen really do something like that?"

"Aye, Ollie-boy. Legend says that if someone stole th' Azen, having no permission to handle it whatsoever, they'd be cursed with misfortune until they died, which would come sooner than they'd believe... 'Course, that was just a story we used to tell littlies to teach 'em not to take things without permission, see?" Mr. Drippy explained.

"Weird... nothing bad happened to me while I had it," Swaine said, scratching his head.

"...dammit." Abyssa scoffed, earning a glare. "So we have to go to Tombstone Trail now... great."

Oliver prepared to cast a Fast-Travel spell, but the light at the end of his wand flickered. "I don't have enough magic..." he said.

"Doesn't surprise me. We've been up since the crack of dawn, Fast Travelling from one location to another." Swaine replied. "We'll have to go on foot."

"What about Tengri? We could call him!" Esther exclaimed.

"Tengri?" Abyssa questioned.

"He's our dragon. We ride him around most of our travels,"

_Dragon?! They have a flippin' dragon, too?! _Abyssa thought, surprised.

"Ah, I wouldn't waste time calling for him, lass." Kublai replied. "It be Migration Time for dragons,"

"Migration?" Oliver asked.

"Aye. With Winter coming around, dragons travel across the lands to Old Smoky, where it's nice and hot, being warm-blooded creatures and all. During that time they also mate, preparing the world for new draglings by the time Spring comes back,"

"So no Fast Travel and no dragon..." Swaine sighed. "Guess we'll be heading out on foot,"

"Oy! Have you've lost the sight in your eyes, lad, or did you forget about my massive air-ship, the Iron Wyvern?!"

"You mean you'll give us a lift?" Esther asked.

"Of course! You're no strangers on my ship, and it's the most I can do after ye swabs saved the world! ...With help from me and me crew, that is, heh heh." he then turned to his crew. "ALL HANDS ON DECK, MEN! We're taking to the skies!"

"Skies...?" Abyssa repeated, eyes wide. She followed the others on the deck. "We're actually going to-"

Her voice was cut off by the sound of engines kicking on, as the massive air-ship began to hover, being steered out of the caves and into the open air!

"...FLY?!"

"Abyssa, are you okay?" Oliver asked, seeing the drifter suddenly had a freaked-out expression.

Abyssa pressed herself against the wall, eyes tight.

_She was a little girl, no older than 5, standing on the roof as she tried to reach for her ball, which ended up stuck on the ledge below her, out of reach. Suddenly she slipped, grabbing onto a peg built into the side of the wall._

_"What is that little girl doing?" A woman asked as she walked by with her husband._

_"Getting into trouble, it looks like. Better keep walking before we get involved..." The man replied, and they left the little girl to hang there._

_"Mommy... daddy... help!" The little girl cried._

_Then she lost her grip..._

Abyssa gasped and opened her eyes, seeing Esther was standing right beside her. "What? You've never seen anyone with vertigo, before?!" she snapped.

"Huh? You're afraid of heights?" Esther asked.

_Dammit, just when I thought this blonde was dumb! _Abyssa thought, cursing herself. "Just keep your mouth shut about it! Where's the wizard and thief?"

"Talking to Kublai. If you want, we could go into one of the rooms and talk, to help you feel better-"

"I'm fine! Just... tell Kublai to hurry up and get us to Tombstone Trail so we can land,"

Esther sighed, turning and walking away. "Why do I even bother?" she asked herself.

*0*0*0*0*

They managed to reach the Tombstone Trail in under an hour. The duration of the time Abyssa spent keeping against the wall, her eyes shut, her body tense. Oliver wanted to go over and see if she needed or wanted anything, but Esther talked him out of it. "She won't accept anything, she's just so stubborn!" the familiar-tamer had told him. "The sooner we find this 'Azen', the better."

The Iron Wyvern hovered above the cliffs located by the Tombstone Trail. "Hey, I can see Hamelin from here," Swaine cracked, looking over the edge.

Abyssa opened one eye, nervously looking over the edge, seeing the tiny kingdom of Hamelin way below, out in the distance. "Oh!" she moaned, shutting her eyes tight. "Can we just land the ship already?"

"There be nowhere to land, lass. Ye have to swing down," Kublai replied.

"Swing...?" Abyssa looked seeing some crew members tying down ropes, and throwing them over the side of the air-ship. "Gah! From way up here?!"

"Don't worry, we'll bring the ship down to about 200 feet above ground, just high enough so ye all can reach the ground, without the cliffs doing much damage to me ship,"

"What's the matter, afraid of heights?" Swaine questioned with a smirk.

Abyssa only glared at him. "Don't make me throw you over the edge, thief..." she growled, trudging over to the side of the ship and grabbing hold of a rope.

"Just leap over the side with a good grip, hold the rope with your legs, and slide on down," Kublai advised them.

_Easier said than done, _Abyssa thought, looking over the edge. Her vision blurred when she noticed how high they were up, even if the ship lowered a few thousand feet. She looked over, seeing Oliver was going down first, Mr. Drippy hanging on to his shoulder and coaxing him. Esther had her eyes shut as she went next, screaming for a few seconds but all the while fine. Swaine looked over at her, gave a nod, and dove next.

Abyssa kept her eyes shut, inching over to the edge. She made the mistake of looking again and gasped, gripping the rope. No, she wasn't going to jump over...

*0*0*0*0*

"What th' flip is she doin', mun?" Mr. Drippy asked, arching an eyebrow.

Everyone looked up at the edge of the Iron Wyvern, watching as a pair of feet shimmied over the edge, followed by a pair of legs, accompanied by a torso, until the drifter had made it over. They heard her yelp as she looked down, gripping onto the rope for dear life.

"Abyssa! Are you alright?" Oliver called.

"I'm dangling 200 feet above ground, _I'm just dandy!" _Abyssa yelled back, slowly inching her way down the rope, stopping every so often with a gasp.

"Great... she is afraid of heights," Swaine scoffed. "By the time she reaches the ground, we'd have found the Azen and be out Christmas shopping... ten years from now!"

"Swaine! Be nice!" Esther scolded, as they continued to slide down, a few inches at a time. "It's not always easy, facing certain fears. I used to be afraid of thunderstorms before I met you guys,"

"Really?" Oliver asked. "How did you manage it?"

"Well, after we started travelling the first time, I grew used to them, let alone faced more frightening things which I soon became used to as well." they were halfway down the ropes now, almost to the ground. "Soon, I forgot the reason why I was afraid of them in the first place."

"Nice, but I don't think it'll help our drifter's vertigo," Swaine scoffed.

"I told you, you can't face it head-on so easily! I used to flinch every time lightening flashed, and if we weren't in a battle with Shadar, I would have spent our first voyage down in my room under my bed. ...Besides, I'd think even YOU have a fear of something, Swaine!"

"Me?! Ha! I'm not scared of anything,"

"Oh, please! You're a total coward!"

"I am not! You're the one always whimpering about something!"

"You're the one always suggesting we run away during a fight!"

"That was _one time_!"

Oliver sighed. Even at 100 feet in the air, Esther and Swaine could argue about anything! And the duo kept up their arguement until they were on the ground, Oliver often looking back up at Abyssa to see how she was doing, noticing the drifter only moved an inch at a time.

"Since when am I afraid of the dark?! Do I have to tell Oliver who invited who to stay in their bedroom because of some ghost-story?!" Swaine snapped.

"I thought we agreed never to talk about that!" Esther hissed.

"Flippin' heck, you two! Give it a rest already!" Mr. Drippy snapped. "I swear, ye two fight more than Puss In Boats and Gruffians!"

"He/She started it!" Swaine and Esther sneered at the same time, then turned and glared at one another.

"Um, guys? I think we have a problem..." Oliver said, looking up.

"I'll say. If Thief-Face and Esthy keep shooting off their mouths, we'll have to tape 'em shut!" Mr. Drippy scoffed.

"No, I mean Abyssa!" Oliver pointed up.

Abyssa was still clinging to the rope, barely five feet down.

"Oh, for crying out loud..." Swaine muttered.

"Should we wiggle the rope or something?" Esther suggested.

"No, that might make her more nervous. We should try a more calm approach," Oliver replied.

"OI! ABBY!" Mr. Drippy shouted.

Abyssa gasped, snapping back to reality and looking down... then yelped and momentarily lost her grip, plummetting as she grabbed the rope, then clung to it once more, hyperventilating. "DON'T DO THAT!" she screamed.

"Subtlety: Thy Name Is Drippy," Swaine remarked, sarcastically.

"Abyssa, just climb down slowly!" Esther called up to the drifter. "You'll be okay!"

They watched her, seeing that she barely moved. "Ugh, this girl is impossible!" Mr. Drippy groaned. "If she don't come down, we'll have to cut th' rope!"

Oliver rubbed his chin. "I think I have an idea. My mom taught me it to help me climb down a rope at the playground once," he said, then called up to Abyssa. "Close your eyes! Count to 100 slowly as you climb down!"

"What?!" Abyssa replied.

"It'll help! Just try! We're not going to go anywhere until you get down!"

The drifter seemed to cling on for a while longer, but finally took a deep breath, slowly moving down the rope while counting. "One... two... three... four..." she whispered to herself.

"Well what'ya know, she's actually doing it," Swaine commented, watching. His eyes caught something flying by just then, shining in the sunlight. "Huh? Did you guys see that?"

"What?" Esther asked. Suddenly she saw it to- something shooting by in the air... cutting through the rope! "Oh my gosh!"

Oliver noticed it to. "Abyssa! Hurry up and get down, quick!" he cried urgently.

"I'm only at 20-" Abyssa began to reply, until she felt a jerk. She looked up, seeing the rope had been sliced, and was about to break. "Oh, flippin'-"

*SNAP!*

"HEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Oliver acted fast, casting a Levitation spell on her, and she stopped a foot before she could hit the ground, hyperventilating. Once the spell wore off, they sat her on the ground. "Are you alright?" the young wizard asked.

"No, I'm not! I nearly fell and broke every bone in my body, thank you very much!" She snapped. "What kind of rope just breaks like that?!"

"One that's been cut," Swaine answered, picking up the fallen rope and showing her the end of it. "Something went flying through the air and sliced these ropes,"

"Who or what was it, do you think?" Esther asked.

"I don't know... but we'd better keep an eye out," Oliver answered. "Someone must know we're looking for the Azen, and must be after it,"

"No flippin' duh!" Abyssa sneered, then sighed, looking around. "But, I have no idea who else would know about it, outside of the people we mentioned it to- but I doubt any of them would be crafty enough to be following us this long!"

"I'll stay behind and ask Kublai if he saw anything," Swaine offered, looking out at Hamelin. "I need to go see Marcassin anyway, I'm long past my due-date to check on him,"

"Good idea," Oliver agreed, and they headed up the Tombstone Trail, while Swaine climbed back on board the Iron Wyvern.

*0*0*0*0*

As they walked, Abyssa couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. How embarrassing it was that everyone discovered her vertigo- and it was doubtless Swaine would probably hold it over her head for the rest of time.

What she couldn't figure out was who was trailing them. First, someone had knocked Oliver's wand out of his hand back in the Rolling Hills- as she overheard Swaine tell the group. Now, someone had tried cutting her rope. _But if they're after the Azen, why are they trying to kill me? Unless they've already acquired it and don't want us to get closer to finding out where it could be... _she wondered.

"I'm sorry, you c-c-can't pass here,"

"Huh? WHOA!" Abyssa cried out, seeing a living skeleton standing before her. "W-What?"

"You're still alive, aren't you? Only the dead are allowed to walk-k-k-k on the Tombstone Trail," the skeleton replied, then motioned to Oliver and Esther. "Lik-k-ke these two,"

"W-What?!" Abyssa turned to Oliver and Esther. "But you're not-"

"Shh," Oliver whispered. "It's okay, he just thinks we're dead... it's part of a spell I used a long time ago," he conjured up a spell, holding up a red apple. "Here, just take a bite. It'll make it look like you've died,"

Abyssa began to panic. "No way, man! I'm not biting that!" she turned to the skeleton. "Look, we need on the trail, we're looking for something important!"

"We'll look for it," Esther sighed. "Just show him the picture,"

Abyssa shakily held up the picture of the Azen. The skeleton gasped. "You're look-k-king for the Azen?!" he questioned.

"You know about it, too?!" Abyssa asked.

"When you've been as dead as I have, you know these things. Many K-K-Keepers of that gem reside here,"

"Kublai said he and his men left the Azen here, thinking it was cursed. Do you know anything about that?" Oliver asked.

"Of c-c-course! My ghoul-friend said something about a pirate chucking it into a graveyard, where K-K-Kendra found it,"

"Who's K-K-Kendra... I mean, Kendra?"

"She work-k-ks at the C-Crypt C-C-Casino... What business have you with the Azen, I must ask-k-k?"

"I'm the current Keeper of it," Abyssa told him.

"Ah... Too bad you're not dead, so you c-c-could retrieve it,"

"OH COME ON!"

"Abyssa," Oliver whispered, offering her the apple. "It's the only way,"

Abyssa groaned. She didn't trust the wizard one bit, worried it might be a trick to kill her. But, it was the only way to get on the Tombstone Trail... and she figured sooner or later she would die on this trip. "I swear to God, if I die for real, I'm going to send my ghost back to kick your ass," she groused, taking the apple, and taking a bite.

Then everything went black.

*0*0*0*0*

Swaine didn't know how much he missed being in Hamelin until he entered the city. The smoggy air was the only thing he didn't care for, but other than that it felt good to be home. He entered the palace, heading to his brother's chambers, seeing the young Great Sage working with a crystal ball, bringing up an image of King Tom. "Yes, I think I've got it!" his brother was saying to himself. "Now to find Gascon..."

Swaine smirked, sneaking over and standing behind him, watching as his brother waved the Mornstar wand, as a wavy image appeared in the glass, slowly coming to, and the ex-prince had to bite his lip to contain a laugh.

"Huh?" Marcassin gasped once the image was clear, and slowly looked over his shoulder.

"Miss me?" Swaine said quickly.

"Yipe!" Marcassin gasped, giving a jolt. "Gascon, don't DO that! You know I hate it when others sneak up on me... You're lucky I didn't hit you with a spell,"

Swaine rolled his eyes. "I've been fine, thanks."

Marcassin sighed, but chuckled. "Ah well... It's good to see you again. I haven't seen you since the end of Spring, and was beginning to worry! What have you've been up to?"

"Oh, going around, helping people, being a saint like always..." Swaine smirked as he said this. "Now what's with the magic crystal ball? You trying to see into the future or something?"

"I've mastered the Foresee spell. Cassiopeia showed me it, and I've been trying my hand at it. Oliver gave me his old wand so I would have enough power, and I've been practicing with it the last few days, leveling up so I would be able to use it. And I've finally done it!"

"So I've noticed... And I take it you were planning on using it to spy on me?"

Marcassin's smile faded. "Well... not quite. I planned on using it to find you as you travel, so that if you were in any danger, I could come and help,"

Swaine scoffed. "I appreciate the offer, Marcassin, but you don't need to 'check up on me'. ...That kind of job belongs to the older sibling, remember?"

"I know... but it belongs to a younger sibling too, especially if his older brother is always facing peril. ...I'll also use it to get a good view around the city, to help monitor everything."

"I bet you could use it to spy on people, too."

Marcassin gave his brother a look. "Oh, come off it, Gascon. ...By the way, wasn't Esther with you?"

"Yeah, but she and Oliver are helping Abyssa out on the Tombstone Trail,"

"Abyssa? Who is Abyssa?"

Swaine sighed, wishing he had kept his mouth shut, knowing his brother would be really concerned about him if he told him about the psycho-girl who tried to kill him. ...So, he just skipped that part. "She's just someone we're helping out. She lost this necklace of hers, and we've been from one town to another looking for it,"

"I see. Is she a new friend, or something?"

"Pffft! Not from my point of view! ...From all I can tell, she really hates my guts."

Marcassin snickered. "No, really? You're usually quite the charmer!" he joked.

Swaine once again rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Why don't you come with us? I'll tell you all the details along the way,"

"I'd love to, Gascon, but with the Storm Season going on, I'll be staying behind to make sure the city remains stable. The tornados will be along anytime, now."

"Well, surely you could just leave it to the captain of the guards, can't you? Take some time off?"

Marcassin shook his head. "It will have to wait. Not until I know our city will remain in good shape."

Swaine smiled, patting his brother on the shoulder. "You know, you make a better ruler than I do... almost, heh heh."

Marcassin grinned. "Thank you, brother."

Swaine cleared his throat. "Well, got to get back to Oliver and Esther- those two will need help handling that drifter. We'll come by again, make sure the city is still standing... so no spying on us!"

The young Great Sage chuckled. "Have a safe trip, Gascon,"

"You know it... oh, and Marcassin?"

"Yes?"

"It's SWAINE,"

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: So we've learned a little more about Abyssa, and got a nice brotherly moment between Swaine and Marcassin ^-^ Next chapter, the search goes on!**

**Reviewer Thanks, ahoy!**

**Mike AZ 2: **Well, hopefully I can keep up with the suspense, and that's yet another mystery; Thank you once again!

**Review, nit-pick, no flame, good day. **


	26. Slots, Shocks, and Storms

**~Chapter 26~**

**Slots, Shocks, and Storms**

The darkness seemed to last only a few seconds, until Abyssa opened her eyes, seeing Oliver, Esther, and Mr. Drippy watching her, all of them standing around different graves. "Ugh... my head... what happened?" the drifter groaned.

"Ah, welc-c-come to the land of the dead!" A skeleton with a mullet exclaimed to her. "Odd... every time someone eats an apple around here, they drop dead! Well, enjoy wandering around our c-c-cold and c-c-cozy home, and don't forget to check-k-k out the c-c-casino!"

"We won't. Thank you!" Esther replied.

Abyssa stood up. She sure didn't feel dead... one way she could tell was because her heart was still beating at a rapid rate. Oliver gave her a nod, and they walked onto the trail, the skeleton waving to them as they walked off. "What WAS that thing?" she whispered to Oliver.

"A Poison Apple spell," Oliver replied. "We had to use it the first time we came here,"

Abyssa rolled her tongue around her mouth, grimacing. "Ugh, I always hated apples... why couldn't it have been a poisoned cake or something?"

Esther giggled. "Well, don't worry. All the ghouls here think you're dead now, so we can head to the casino and find this 'Kendra' person," she replied.

They went to the casino, which looked like a rundown shed... and Abyssa was immediately intrigued by the inside. Slots, black-jack tables, and bars were all around the room. _Wow... these ghouls really know how to live... for a bunch of dead guys, at least. _she thought, looking around as they walked around.

Oliver went up to a witch sitting behind a blackjack table. "Excuse me, do you know where we can find someone named Kendra?" he asked.

"Kendra? Ah, yes, she's clearing tables," she replied, and pointed over at a young witch with purple hair, wearing a black dress and apron.

"Thank you," Oliver walked over to Kendra. "Hi there. I'm Oliver, I was wondering if I could ask you something?"

"I don't date any ghosts under the age of 500, sorry." she told him.

"Huh? Oh, no we're actually looking for something!"

"Have you've seen this?" Abyssa asked, showing her the Azen picture. _Please say you have it, I'm sick of taking out this picture so damn much! _she thought.

"Oh, yes. I had a necklace like that once. It was pulsing with power... but I couldn't manage to use it, so I gave it to my little sister, Ki, as a gift," Kendra replied. "Why are you looking for it?"

"It was taken from me years ago, and it's really important we find it. Where's your sister, now?"

"She's in the delivery service. She rides her Cloud Sweeper everywhere, delivering potions and what-not to sages, doctors, whoever's willing to buy. She should be in Hamelin- she would have been back tonight, but there's a powerful storm brewing up, so she decided she would wait until it passes before flying around. She's too young to be riding out during a tornado,"

"It does sound dangerous," Esther agreed.

"On the contrary, it's quite fun! You should try it sometime. I'm just saying she's too young- hasn't had enough experience, though I promised I'd show her the ropes."

"Well, thank you for your help," Oliver replied.

"We'd better tell Kublai to head to Hamelin. The Iron Wyvern probably won't handle well in a tornado," Esther said to Oliver as they walked.

"Hamelin isn't too far off, we can walk." Abyssa said quickly. "Besides, Kublai and his men probably took off by now, knowing it's storm season around here now."

"Ah, flippin' heck girl, show some guts!" Mr. Drippy scoffed, having been sitting at a slot machine during this time. "Ya can't be afraid of th' skies forever, can ya?"

"I'm going to get some coffee," Oliver sighed. "Then we can just Fast-Travel to Kublai, then to Hamelin,"

"There's tidy- best if you stock up, en't it? We might be burnin' through our magic durin' this trip!"

_As much coffee as that kid drinks, I'm surprised he's not bouncing off the walls, _Abyssa thought, then walked over to Kendra. "So, you said you could feel power from that necklace, but couldn't use it?" she asked her.

"Of course. Something about it repelled any form of witchcraft or wizardry, as if it were more powerful than both. It almost felt intimidating, holding it... I gave it to my sister, hoping she may be able to gain something from it. She doesn't use much magic." Kendra explained. "Now then, would you like to play a game of Black Jack? I don't get paid to just talk,"

Abyssa shrugged. "Why not? I could use some extra guilders,"

Oliver Fast-Traveled back to the Iron Wyvern with Mr. Drippy, leaving Esther to stay with Abyssa. The desert-girl felt nervous, still tense about the 'kidnap' attempt and didn't want to be left alone with the drifter... but considering she was busy with a Black Jack game, she felt relaxed. _We'll find the Azen soon, then we won't have to worry about her anymore. _she thought... but at the same time, she felt pity. Abyssa was broken-and-closed-hearted, acting as if she were on her own even though she was surrounded by people willing to help. Let alone, if someone were stalking them...

In a flash of light, Oliver reappeared. "Kublai is heading back to Skull Mountain- he said Swaine was heading to the Porcine Palace." he told her. "Lets head to Hamelin,"

"Abyssa, we're ready to leave," Esther called to the drifter.

Abyssa nodded to Kendra, then took a small sack of guilders. "Thanks for the game," she called to the witch, then turned to the others. "Just won 2500 guilders from that game."

"How nice! We're heading to Hamelin now,"

"Now? I'd like to try my hand at those slots..."

"Oi, don't get carried away, Abby-girl. Don't want to get addicted to gamblin', do ya?" Mr. Drippy stated.

Abyssa rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Mr. Dopey,"

_"Drippy! It's flippin' Drippy, ya daft drifter!" _

Oliver cringed, then quickly cast the Fast-Travel spell before the fairy could make a scene.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Swaine was walking through the city, Marcassin walking with him as the Sage wanted to see his brother out, extending his visit as much as possible. "Are you sure you don't want to come along? It would be good to get some fresh air," the ex-prince said persuasively.

"I'm actually thinking about building some air-filters to install throughout the city, so everyone could get some fresh air," Marcassin explained. "I read somewhere that trees provide air through photosynthesis as well. Perhaps we could plant a grove nearby, maybe around the abandoned mine trails since no one uses them anymore,"

"Sounds fine to me..."

Suddenly, the power throughout the city shut off just then, the whole kingdom stuck in pitch-blackness, until some red lights came on. The two brothers looked around, Marcassin using his magic to conjure up a light to see better, noticing civilians were lighting lanterns.

There was a bright flash of light, as Oliver, Esther, Mr. Drippy, and Abyssa appeared. "Whoa! What happened to the city?" Oliver asked, alarmed.

"It's part of our procedure during Storm Season," Marcassin explained as they walked over. "A tornado must be nearby and struck a power-line, luckily we have a back-up generator to provide enough energy for the city until it can be fixed."

"Nice, guess you really know how to prepare," Abyssa replied.

Marcassin held up his light, his eyes widening at the sight of Abyssa. "Oh," he gasped quietly, feeling mesmerized. "And... who might you be, miss?"

"This is Abyssa, the one I was telling you about," Swaine replied, then whispered. "Careful, she shoots knives,"

Marcassin stepped forth, giving a nod to her. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Abyssa. My name is Prince Marcassin, one of the rulers and Great Sage of Hamelin,"

"A prince, huh?" Abyssa asked, then turned to Swaine. "Sheesh, for a thief, you sure have friends in high places,"

Esther giggled. "Well, actually, they're more than just friends. They're brothers," she replied.

Abyssa developed a shocked look and did a 90-degree turn, looking at Esther. "_Saywhatnow_?"

"Oh, yeah, didn't I mention?" Swaine replied, developing a smirk. "I'm the crowned prince of Hamelin,"

Abyssa blinked. _No. Flippin'. Way. A PRINCE?! HONESTLY?! _she thought in shock. "This has got to be a joke..." she turned to Oliver. "Please tell me it's a joke!"

"Um... lets look for Ki," Oliver replied quickly.

"Key? What key?" Swaine asked.

"Not 'key'- Ki, she's a witch who makes deliveries," Esther replied.

"I think I know her. She should be at the local Hootenanny to stock up on supplies," Marcassin replied. "She drops by the kingdom from time to time to deliver some supplies for my magic resources,"

Sirens began to blare just then, and people began to head into buildings, which suddenly began to shift, the gears grinding as the houses and shops moved together. "We'll have to find her later- sounds like a tornado is closing in," Swaine replied. "We'd better get indoors,"

"I thought the whole city was indoors," Oliver stated.

"You've never seen a tornado in Autumnia, have you?" Abyssa asked him. "They hurl boulders, creatures, uprooted tracks- basically anything that's not buried in the ground gets thrown into the walls, sometimes through them."

"Jeepers..."

"You know about it, I see. Have you've experienced it before?" Marcassin asked Abyssa as they headed to the kingdom.

"Once when I was 13, luckily I managed to get inside a Hootenanny before the buildings shifted into a defense-position,"

Oliver looked, suddenly noticing that the buildings had rotated in a way that the doors and windows were blocked by other buildings, only seeing blank walls. "How do people get out?" he asked.

"No one gets out until the storm has passed... now we must hurry, the palace will be closing up soon, as well!" Marcassin said quickly.

They made it to the palace, getting inside just as a large steel wall slid through an opened-slot in the walls, closing behind them. Swaine then turned to Abyssa, once again smirking. "Well, since we'll be here a while longer, how about if I give you a tour of the place... worthy of a common drifter?" he asked, slyly.

Abyssa only glared. _I wish I died in that fall... _she thought.

"Gascon, if you don't mind, might I give her a tour?" Marcassin asked. "I'm sure you and your friends could use some rest,"

"Gascon?" Abyssa questioned, looking at Swaine. _So... that bag of coins was his after all... Did he change his name, too? _she thought.

Swaine arched an eyebrow, then looked at Abyssa- he didn't trust the drifter to be alone with his little brother. Luckily, Oliver spoke up. "We can all give her a tour," Oliver replied.

"Yes, and we can tell you about the first time we came here," Esther told Abyssa. "We had to sneak through the palace the first time,"

"Sneak? What, Swaine wouldn't give you a royal pass or something?" Abyssa quipped.

"Actually, we didn't find out Swaine was a prince, until..." Oliver began, but paused, careful of his next words. "Until... we mended Marcassin's broken-heart."

Abyssa arched an eyebrow. _Something tells me there's more to that story, _she thought. "Ah, the tour can wait. I'm too tired to walk around, anyway."

"Very well," Marcassin replied with a nod. "I'll have some rooms arranged for you all, immediately." he turned to Oliver. "I've also mastered the Foresee spell, Oliver. You were right- Mornstar was a great help,"

"Neato!" Oliver replied as they all walked down the corridors.

Abyssa fell behind the group. Despite she seemed calm, she was still in complete shock inside. _So that no-good thief is actually a prince... damn, I'm in trouble... _she thought, anxiously.

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Yes, I wrote it to where Marcassin seems infatuated with Abyssa- don't worry, he won't have a mad crush on her or anything, but I felt it would be a funny twist to the story. And so now Abyssa has found out Swaine is a prince... and isn't taking it well XD**

**Also, in case some of you might figure out, the character 'Ki' is a reference to another Studio Ghibli character, 'Kiki' (from Kiki's High-Flying Delivery Service). I figured it couldn't hurt- especially since Marcassin looks like Howl (yes, I just made that joke). ...Gotta love the cameos. **

**The Reviewer Thanks cometh!**

**Kai2: **XD Thanks! Hope there's more quotable quotes for you to enjoy next.

**Please review, don't flame, but you're free to nit-pick. **


	27. Desirae

**~Chapter 27~**

**"Her Name Was Desirae"**

_"Day 8 of Winter_

_The Porcine Palace, Hamelin_

_Swaine._

_I thought I had him figured out. That he was just a common thief, trying to turn over a new leaf after years of robbing and cheating others. That he was just a cynical bum of a man who knew nothing more than how to shoot a gun and trick others._

_I was a bit surprised to learn he was friends with Oliver, the Pure-Hearted One who saved the world from Shadar. _

_I was stunned to learn he was stupid enough to trade the Azen, a powerful stone, in exchange for food. _

_And I was constantly caught off-guard by how much others grew to trust him, despite his past, from sailors to wizards to pirates. _

_But finding out he's the crowned prince of Hamelin?!_

_Swaine, or 'Gascon' as he's actually called in the kingdom, turns out to be the ruler of Hamelin... well, one of the rulers. His brother, Marcassin, is the second ruler, and a Great Sage. Why would anyone give up a life of royalty to become a thief? Much less leave his brother behind to rule alone!_

_I thought I had Swaine's character all figured out... but apparently, there's more to him than meets the eye._

_The difference is, I want to see less of him.'_

Abyssa set her journal down, emitting a heavy sigh, listening to the howling winds outside. She didn't mind the storm so much- rather, they seemed to calm her, hearing the wind blow, the thunder roar, the rains drizzle... it all felt relaxing to her. Especially if she were inside to only listen to it, not be out in it.

Yet relaxation wasn't going to come easy for her. Swaine was a prince... and there was more behind the story than she was told. Oliver claimed they didn't find out he was a prince until they mended Marcassin's heart- but he had paused, as if he were bringing up a personal subject. Was there something about Swaine's past that he didn't want brought up?

_Ugh, I've got to get away from these people! _she thought, lying back and covering her face with a pillow. _The longer I'm around them... the more involved I get... and the last thing I want to do is get involved with anyone- especially if they have ties with that thief... prince... ah, bloody flippin' hell! _

She lowered the pillow from her face, taking in a deep breath. _It's alright... it'll all be over soon... You'll get the Azen back, and it'll be just you again. _

_...or will it? _She suddenly found herself thinking, tensing up as she recalled the strange sabotage that had gone on in the past couple days. Was someone after them? After her? Surely they might have lost track of them, what with all the Fast-Travel spells...

Then she realized something: before they had used the spells, Oliver had stated their destinations... meaning someone had to have been spying on them... but for how long? Since Castaway Cove? Since the desert? Since the Deep Dark Wood?

Abyssa couldn't help but shudder. Maybe it was a good thing she was travelling with company...

_No... you know how to handle yourself! _she thought, scolding herself for feeling like a scared child. _Besides, they couldn't have followed us up the Tombstone Trail, unless they were dead, and couldn't have found out we were heading to Hamelin. Even if they could, I doubt they'd be able to follow us in this weather..._

_Nonetheless, I think from now on we should discuss our destinations in private before casting that spell. _she added to her thought. _The less trouble we have on this trip, the better._

*0*0*0*0*

Sleeping through a thunderstorm was something she grew used to over the past year.

Sleeping through a tornado, on the other hand, was a whole different story.

Esther lie awake in her bed, listening to the howling winds outside, echoing through the steel walls of the industrial kingdom, pelting the kingdom with debris and anything else not rooted to the ground. Marcassin had prepared rooms for them in the lower halls, where everyone in the kingdom slept during a tornado, as it was safety regulations to be in a basement or in some sort of storm shelter during such a natural disaster. Despite that, she still felt nervous.

Knowing she wouldn't be getting much sleep, she got out of bed, deciding to check up on Oliver. Since it was still early in the evening, she figured he would be up- Marcassin having wanted to show him that new 'Foresee' spell. Or she would see what Swaine was up to- no doubt he was still awake, as he tended to stay up late most nights (thus why he was always so grouchy in the mornings), plus seemed restless after seeing the look on Abyssa's face when they revealed he was a prince. Chances are, the thief was probably thinking up ways to annoy her, figuring she wouldn't dare lay a hand on a ruler of Hamelin- especially if his brother was a sage.

She thought about checking on the drifter as well, as she just locked herself in her room without another word to anyone... but pushed such a thought aside, knowing she wouldn't speak a word.

*Crash!*

"Eep!" Esther yelped, hearing the sound of something slamming against the city's walls, and jumped back, bumping into something. She turned around, seeing a portrait... covered by a black, transparent curtain.

_What's this? _she wondered, then carefully lifted one side, seeing a woman's face...

"What are you doing?"

Esther gasped, giving a jolt as she spun around, then sighed with relief. "Swaine, don't do that!" she snapped. "You almost gave me a heart-attack!"

"Serves you right for snooping around," the thief scoffed. "What are you doing up? I thought you were going to turn in early,"

"The storm is keeping me up," Esther rubbed her arm, embarrassed to admit that to Swaine- no doubt he'd start picking on her for being afraid of 'a little wind'.

"Meh, I don't blame you. It's impossible to sleep through tornados."

She looked at him, curiously. It didn't seem like him to... sympathize with her.

He nodded his head to the left. "C'mon, I think Marcassin and Oliver are down the hall, working on that spell of theirs. We can hang around with them until the storm's done with,"

Esther, however, couldn't shake the fact that he had kept himself from making a joke about her fear of storms, and she had a feeling it had something to do with that portrait. "Who's that woman in the picture?" she asked when he started walking ahead of her.

The thief paused, his back to her, his head tilting as he looked at the ground. "Her name was Desirae," he replied softly. "She was... the Emporess," he cleared his throat. "Lets go,"

Esther only nodded, following him in silence, knowing when not to say another word when it came to personal subjects with Swaine.

*0*0*0*0*

_Somewhere, in a cold dark cavern, a figure walked, their face covered by a hood, their body hunched._

_Deep in the cavern stood another figure, also hunched over. "Did you succeed?" it rasped._

_"No, that damn wizard child got in the way," the first figure responded, with a lower, raspy voice. "There were pirates on the scene, too, I had to remain hidden... I lost them by Tombstone Trail..."_

_"Dammit! We must find them... only they can lead us to the Azen... to the key to freeing Senkrad..."_

_"Yes... it was close... the world was nearly his with the Dark Djinn and White Witch causing chaos, making others lose hope... until that little hero came along..."_

_"Don't remind me! Now our only chance lies on getting to that gem... corrupting its power..."_

_"But it won't be easy... until the girl dies..."_

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Hello, Suspense, we've missed you. **

**Yeah, I think I threw in too much in this chapter- I mean set-up wise. It went from Abyssa trying to overcome the secrets of Swaine, Esther coming across a portrait of his mother, and now our antagonists have a dark plan up their sleeves. ...anyone remember what the first plot was about? Oh yeah, Swaine making up for his past crimes... man, I've got to focus on one plot at a time, the story's probably getting hard to follow?**

**Well, here's one thing I can keep track of- the Reviewer Thanks!**

**Kai2: **Well, he's spent most of his life in a castle...; I like those movies too... though I only got to see parts of them since my mom had a rule about us watching anime when I was a kid; I think everyone has lol; And I always give my reviewers a shout-out ^-^

**Mike AZ 2: **I may have to look it up on youtube, I only got to see the beginning as a kid; and glad you liked the reference, I might do more as the story goes on; And yeah, sometimes Fanfiction is weird like that, someone will have to send a suggestion for it. Thanks again!

**As always, review. As always, nit-pick. As always, don't flame. And, as always, we'll see you in the next chapter. **


	28. Back To Business

**~Chapter 28~**

**Back To Business**

The tornado was gone by morning, and as they walked out of the castle after the security shield opened, Oliver learned sure enough that tornados truly were dangerous in Autumnia. There were dents in the city's walls, holes in the roof of the city, and somehow a pine tree got lodged through the steel doors. The streets were littered with scraps of metal, broken glass, and other debris, some of the buildings scuffed or dented as well. Fortunately, the kingdom's guards, plus a few maintanence teams, were already at work- removing debris from the gears in the tracks on the streets so the buildings could move properly, cleaning up the broken glass and metal shrapnels, and mending all the dents and holes.

"Wow, tornados really do damage to this city..." Oliver whispered to himself.

"Well, it's not too surprising, en't it?" Mr. Drippy brought up as they stood on an already-cleared street. "It's no different than Automatas having a weakness to storm attacks, see- machines don't do well against forces of nature, y'know, 'specially powerful wind-storms."

"I should build something, so the damages are less severe," Marcassin stated as he walked with them, using the Rejuvinate spell to help with the repairs, Oliver assisting him. "Like a giant shield that could form over the city during the storm season,"

"Well, the repairs are coming along great, and the city is still standing," Oliver said. "If there was a tornado that bad in my world, it could tear down my whole neighborhood!"

As the young wizard and young sage walked, helping with the repairs, the others stepped out of the city. "Have you've seen Abyssa anywhere?" Esther asked Swaine as they walked. "I didn't see her at breakfast,"

"Why are you surprised?" Swaine questioned. "That girl keeps to herself like a timid stray cat. It's no surprise she wouldn't be around us, until the city doors were open."

"Still... you'd think she would be awake ahead of-"

"About time you lazy bums woke up!" called Abyssa, as she walked down the street, Ghibli at her side.

Esther turned, surprised. "Abyssa! Where have you've been?"

"What, a person can't take their familiar out for some exercise in the morning? I've been up since 5 AM, waiting for the rest of you to get out of bed, so we could find this Ki-witch and get the... _you-know-what _back." She paused as she said this last part, looking around at the workers.

"You mean the Azen?"

"SHUSH!" Abyssa clapped her hand over Esther's mouth sternly, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "Do you want more people on our tail?!"

"What are you so worked up about?" Swaine scoffed. "No one really knows what the Azen is."

"Then why, oh 'wise' thief, has some stranger been causing us trouble? Think about it: it's practically been passed around, so someone must know of its power... and if we keep bringing it up, chances are others are going to want in on its secret, rumors will spread, and we'll have more trouble on our hands than we already have!"

"'ou 'ah a 'oin'," Esther muffled.

Abyssa removed her hand. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, you have a point. We shouldn't be talking about it in public. Perhaps we should also meet with Ki in private, just so no one else sees the picture you have, too."

"That's the first brilliant idea you've had since I've met you,"

Esther gave her a sharp look, while Swaine had to stifle a laugh, coughing to cover it up. "(ahem) Right, we'll tell this to Oliver and Marcassin, too, make sure they keep it secret." he said.

"Also, if we're going to use Fast-Travel, or any other means of transportation, I suggest we not speak of any future locations, just to save ourselves the risk of being followed." Abyssa continued. Ghibli rubbed the side of his head against her leg, and she gave him a cherry-flan. "And, God willing, whoever has been trailing us won't find us again."

"Okay," Esther agreed.

The drifter then turned towards Swaine. "Alright, 'your royal pain-in-the-ass'-ness, when do the city doors open?"

Swaine gave her a look. "Not until all the repairs are finished, so we probably won't leave until late this afternoon," he replied, and couldn't help but smirk. "Which means, you'll be stuck with us a while longer. As you may know, the buildings won't be able to rotate until the tracks are cleaned of debris, so chances are we won't be finding Ki too soon, so we can either wander the streets, or hang around the palace until then."

Abyssa let out a heavy sigh. _Great, I'm still stuck with these guys... _she thought. "Flippin' excellent..." she muttered. "What the hell are we supposed to do around here?"

Esther looked down at Ghibli, who was sniffing around. "Well... maybe we could train with our familiars," she suggested. "I have a baabarian who could use some levelling-up. Do you have any other familiars you'd like to work with?"

The familiar-tamer regretted the suggestion, as the drifter gave her a dark glance. "No. I just have Ghibli, and he's gotten quite a bit of experience- enough to cream whatever familiars you have," she then summoned Ghibli back, turning and walking off. "I'm going to walk around. Let me know if you see that witch anywhere,"

Esther and Swaine watched her trudge off, the thief shaking his head. "She certainly knows how to shut everyone out, doesn't she?" he commented, quietly.

"I kind of feel sorry for her," Esther whispered. "She mentioned something about her parents being gone- and being glad they were. And the way she acts towards others..." she turned to Swaine. "Do you suppose she's been abused?"

He shook his head. "It's not really my judgement to make. Chances are, she stopped trusting others once she got out on her own, probably had a run-in with a few creeps... Shadar probably being one of them. An experience like that would leave anyone lacking trust or tolerance towards others,"

Esther looked at him. "...almost like you, huh?"

He gave her a look. "Would you stop comparing me to that girl?!"

"But it's kind of true, right? Before you met Oliver and I, you acted the same way... except Abyssa isn't really a thief- save for the times she did take something from us."

Swaine shook his head. "My case was different..." he paused, looking down a familiar, narrow passage. "Speaking of the past, I'm going to get back to my own quest."

Esther cocked her head, confused for a moment, until she remembered how their trip started in the first place. "Oh, right! Making up for your bad deeds! I nearly forgot!" she began to follow him, but he held up his hand to stop her. "What is it?"

"You stick around with Oliver. I think I can manage a few things here, for now." he gave her an assuring grin. "After all, we're on my home-turf. Settling problems here shouldn't be too hard,"

Esther sighed. "Alright... but if you need help, don't be egotistical. Oliver and I didn't come along just to sit back and watch you fall on your face,"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Right. I'll meet you guys at the gates, this afternoon," with that, he walked off.

Esther sighed, turning and walking down the street, seeing Oliver, Marcassin, and Mr. Drippy in the distance. As she walked, she couldn't help but look at the ground, lost in thoughts. _I don't care how much he denies it, _she thought to herself. _He and Abyssa are quite alike. Maybe... if we could mend her heart... she could be a new friend. Then she wouldn't feel so alone. _

*0*0*0*0*

William Abel was a sly character, who always knew how to make a bargain... especially when it came to 'underground deals'. He could always make a good deal, yet never really gave anyone something too shady without a high cost.

The only exception was Swaine. The thief had learned about Grace- his daughter, whom the peddler had kept hidden away, during the days when the city was going to the dogs. He didn't want her to have to go around dressed like a pig, or go suffer through ridiculous laws such as 'not looking someone in the eye', and other such matters. ...How the thief had learned about it, William didn't know-all he knew was that Swaine knew how to play his cards right, to get what he wanted, and was practically one of few who earned his respect.

Since the kingdom had fallen back into order, William felt he could relax. Knowing heroes like Oliver still existed, he allowed Grace to finally get out of hiding- though told her to be wary, as the black-market business was sure to attract the worst characters, and did not want her to be harmed. Thankfully, she never told anyone about it, and not many people really knew they were related. Plus, with Marcassin keeping things in order, he felt she would remain safe, and kept to his business, wondering what kind of characters would come in.

His answer today was a surprise, as Swaine stepped through. "Well, there's a face I have trouble forgetting," the peddler said with a grin. "What brings you in today, Swaine? Need new equipment for your pistol? We got some nice barrels, traded in from a pirate camp, sure to-"

"Thanks, Will, but I'm not here to buy anything. I need some information," he said, quietly.

"Information, eh? What makes you think you can get me to say anything? ...And don't try mentioning Grace, I've managed to fix that blackmail,"

"C'mon, Will, you're always the source of information. And if it helps, I'm willing to trade in this..." Swaine held up his Rogue's Revolver.

William let out a descending whistle. "Haven't seen one of those in a while... And you're willing to part with it?"

"Only if you give me the information I need,"

"Depends... what kind of information?"

Swaine looked over his shoulder, to make sure no one was coming in, then turned to the peddler. "Do you know of a family that goes by the name of Wellstone?" he asked quietly.

William's eyes widened. "Wellstone? It's been years since I've heard about anyone with that name, around here. Hasn't been anyone with that surname around here for the past five years, as far as I can tell."

"What happened to them?"

"I don't know much about it. I just know that, for some reason, the parents quit their jobs and moved away."

"Where to?"

He looked at him, slyly. "Why do you want to know?"

Swaine sighed. "There's something I have to do for them... now can you help me out?"

William gave a nod. "You were always a smart one, Swaine- not like the shady characters who come into here. You always offered good deals, and really knew how to drive a hard bargain. ...Yes, I know where they are."

*0*0*0*0*

After getting the information he needed, Swaine exited the black market. He had given up his Rogue's Revolver willingly- knowing he could always call on Al-Khemi to make him a new one once he gathered some supplies for it- and even apologized to William for blackmailing him, which the peddler accepted ("You're the first to make up for it!" he exclaimed to the thief).

Now he was walking around... just in time to see the buildings move, rotating back into their original order. Within minutes, the streets were filled with people walking about, going to shops, or visiting one another. He looked among all the faces, trying to recognize a few of them, then took in a deep breath.

_Time to cross a few people off the list, _he told himself, walking over to a stand.

"May I help you?" The man at the stand asked.

"Not quite." Swaine replied. "There's actually something I'd like to do for you."

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Just thought we'd get back to the first plot. As for the reason behind the information Swaine was looking for... I'm still building up to that. **

**Next chapter, the quest for the Azen continues!**

**And here's some Reviewer Shout-Outs!**

**Kai2: **You're the first to point it out though. *gives you cookie*

**Titanicspaz: **Well at least we're getting back on-track lol; Hopefully I will; And you'll see, got quite a few ideas I want to try to fit in.

**Mike AZ 2: **Thank you once again, and we shall see what I throw in; And yeah, Fanfiction cuts out links in reviews and PMs for some reason, but I still understood so no worries; Yeah, subtlety hasn't been my forte, but I appreciate your honesty nonetheless. Hopefully I can throw in some twists.

**Please review, don't flame, nit-pick of you must... and see you in the next chapter!**


	29. Ki

**~Chapter 29~**

**Ki**

Rashaad so rarely travelled since he had began selling babanas, having chosen to keep to his businness and taking care of his daughter after that fateful run-in with Shadar. But the past was in the past, and after boarding the Iron Wyvern during a manna-outbreak and getting a glimpse of the world again after the defeat of the White Witch, he felt he could see the world, namely only travelling when his daughter was, hoping that, by chance, they would cross paths and he could make sure she was doing well, even though he could trust Swaine- though was more trustworthy of Oliver, which made him glad the young wizard could be travelling with them by now.

He was on his way to Ding Dong Dell to visit King Tom, deciding to see how the king was doing, let alone see how the kingdom was handling its latest 'flash flood', travelling over the Rolling Hills, seeing that they were still drying, a few puddles and streams of water still scattered about, the ground muddy, but nothing as serious as when the rains started to fall. The kingdom itself was sealed behind a giant stone wall, built to prevent the flood from reaching the city, though often water managed to get in through cracks, and of course the was the rain pouring down overhead- it was fortunate the city had a vast amount of storm-drains.

Entering the city, he looked around. The streets were dry, save for some puddles in the gutters, and the water in the pond and creek was a few inches higher, but no damage so far (unless you were Dickory Dock down in the sewers- the mice had to evacuate to higher ground a day ahead of the storms, until the sun came out afterwards).

As he came up to the kingdom, he was surprised to see a familiar face on the steps. "Queen Cassiopeia, I did not expect to find you here," he stated.

Cassiopeia looked his way, smiling. "Rashaad! I didn't expect you, either," she exclaimed, walking over. "I was just delivering a gift for King Tom. I heard he was a bit moody because of the flood, so I thought I'd cheer him up," she held up a box, full of round jingle-bells. "I heard he loves bells, so I hope he likes these,"

Rashaad chuckled. "I'm sure he will. Shall we see him together?"

"Of course!" They began walking up the steps. "I'm glad to have run into you here. There's something I'd like to ask of you,"

"What is it, your majesty?"

She giggled. "Well, first, you may address me as 'Pea'- a name I grew up with as a young child. But, that aside, I'd like to ask if you would like a place on my new council. I've already asked the rulers of the three kingdoms, and the sages- I have asked Khulan to join, as well as her fiance, Kublai. I've decided, since you all had a part in saving the world, and myself, that you may join my council."

Rashaad pondered this a moment. "You want to make a council made up of other rulers and sages, for your own kingdom?"

She nodded. "I believe, if we all have a steady union, there will be less of a chance that there's a repeat of history's events. I also believe that, considering this whole world is home to so many, we should have a council with someone from every area- to make sure everything is in order, assist one another if there is any kind of problem, and do our best to keep peace amongst all the kingdoms."

"You speak like a child... A child who knows her goal, has an honest heart, and determination to achieve." He smiled, giving a nod. "Yes, I shall join your council as well."

She smiled, then handed him a white flower with a golden-yellow trim. "Wonderful!"

"Is there anyone else you plan to ask?"

"Yes. I'm hoping to find Swaine, Esther, and the Lord High Lord of the Fairies- all who have assisted Oliver in his quest. I heard that they're travelling, but have yet to see them."

"I'm sure you will come across them, somewhere. I also believe there's one member of their party you should ask as well,"

Cassiopeia cocked her head. "Really?"

Rashaad gave a nod, as they entered the castle. "Yes. Did you hear that the Pure-Hearted One has returned?"

*0*0*0*0*

As soon as the buildings had rotated, and people began pouring out, Abyssa had been searching near-and-far for any sign of a witch- her eyes occasionally looking up to the air, as if to spot Ki on her cloud-sweeper. Granted, she should have been searching for Oliver and his group, as they may have found her first...

But something inside had her banish that idea. She shouldn't have to rely on a group of strangers- especially Swaine- even if one of them did save the world! She didn't really care much for that, anyway, whether or not the world ended... It was going to end someday, she believed. And how the young wizard wanted to bring his mother back from the dead? ...No wizard could achieve such a thing. And even if he could, why would he want to bring her soul back from Heaven, back to this ill-gotten planet? Why did he have to wait and realize that bringing someone back to life was not only immoral, but impossible? True, Mr. Drippy had given him the idea- believing that if he saved her 'soul-mate', that would magically revive his mom- but in the same sense, it was kind of... morbid, in her opinion.

Sure, the kid had lost his mother... but at least she loved him. Not like Abyssa's, did. Alicia deserved to go on to Heaven, to continually watch over her son and husband...

Wait, Oliver never mentioned his father. Maybe he didn't have one around. Huh, no wonder he was so determined to bring his mom back from the dead... going through life without any parents was tough on a kid- Abyssa knew this from experience- and it probably didn't help that he had to save the world on his own... okay, he had Swaine, Esther, and Mr. Drippy, but that kid was powerful! What good did those friends of him do?

Abyssa shook her head, clearing her mind of such matters. _Whatever, it's none of my business... and as soon as we get the Azen back, they'll be out of it quick. _she thought, looking around for any signs of a witch.

She paused just then, looking ahead. There was a man with a scruffy, graying brown beard, wearing a flannel ski-cap, dark-blue vest over a black shirt, mud-stained cargo pants, and black hiking books. The drifter backed away, ducking behind a corner and hoping the man hadn't spotted her, while trying to keep her breathing steady. _No... he's supposed to be in jail! ...Wait, how long was his sentence? Five years? Ten? Twenty? ...oh, please don't let him recognize me..._

"Abyssa?"

"GAH!" Abyssa yelped, spinning quickly while whipping out her gun-blade, taking aim... only to see a startled Esther behind her. She took a deep breath and sheathed her weapon. "Flippin' heck, Esther! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Y-Yes, I see why... *ahem* I was looking for you. I spotted the witch over by the Cat's Cradle, she's going to meet us over by Swift Solutions in half an hour, after she finishes a delivery." Esther replied, as they began to walk. "...Did something happen? You looked tense."

The drifter rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, because a normal person should ALWAYS be calm, after some creep tried to make them _plummet_ over 100 feet, had to fake their _death_, and try to find... _something _very important that they didn't want in the wrong hands."

Esther put her hands on her hips. "No need to be cheeky! I was just asking, to see if maybe you noticed any suspicious characters or something,"

Abyssa scoffed. "We're _travelling _with a suspicious character, blondie- unless princes like to dress like bums, these days."

She sighed. "I think you should lighten up on Swaine. I know he's done some rotten things in the past, and is cynical at times... but he's been through quite a lot. If you just took time-"

"We're wasting time, right now. Lets hurry up to Swift Solutions- it'll take us half an hour to get to it from here, anyway." With that, Abyssa stormed ahead, as she always did.

The familiar-tamer sighed, following. She didn't know why she kept trying to reason with the girl, yet she knew she just wanted to help- not for the drifter's sake, but also Swaine's. Even if they did retrieve the Azen, chances were Abyssa wouldn't forgive the thief... maybe even take off from the group, alone in the world, even though someone was after her.

If she kept her heart closed, Esther knew, she would be in more danger than she thought.

*0*0*0*0*

Oliver, Marcassin, Swaine and Mr. Drippy managed to meet up near the Hootenanny. The wizard and sage had finished with helping out with the repairs, and the thief had been wandering around, paying back the people he stole from over the years. "I'm telling you, the way some of the people acted, I felt like I was being robbed myself!" Swaine was telling them as they walked down the street, keeping an eye out for Esther and Abyssa. "I stole 500 guilders from one man... and he claimed it was more than 1000!"

"Maybe it was... How would you remember how much you stole from every person?" Marcassin replied.

Swaine scoffed. "When you've lead a life on your own, and faced a few traumas, you tend to remember little things like that. I still remember the number of buttons on the shirt of a thug I picked a fight with!"

Marcassin cringed. "Nonetheless, it's good you're working hard to pay back so many people- even if some of them aren't very honest,"

"Still, you'd think for someone trying to make amends, they shouldn't act like criminals,"

"That's an ironic twist on youer life, en't it?" Mr. Drippy quipped, earning a glare from Swaine.

Oliver cleared his throat. "I wonder where Esther and Abyssa are?" he said, deciding to change the subject.

"Perhaps we should ask around," Marcassin suggested, then walked over to a boy petting a dog. "Excuse me, have you've seen a blonde-haired girl wearing an Al-Mamoonian outfit, or a girl with a dark-blue tunic and long, silky, raven-black hair?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, your majesty. I believe I saw both of them heading towards Swift Solutions. ...The blonde one stopped to pet my dog, until the black-haired one yanked her away." he answered.

"Thank you," Marcassin turned back to the others. "They were heading to Swift Solutions, we can go there."

"Neato, I have some stamp-cards I can turn in while we're there." Oliver replied.

They walked into the shop, seeing the two girls. Esther was chatting with the man behind the desk, and Abyssa was looking at posts on the board, the former being the first to notice them come in. "Oh, there you guys are!" she said, smiling. "Abyssa and I were wondering where you were..." she paused, looking back at the drifter, who paid them no mind. "...Well, I was, at least."

Oliver smiled back. "We were wondering the same about you. Any sign of Ki?"

"Yes, I saw her at the Cat's Cradle- she said she would meet us here, and she should be here any moment!"

"Good, the sooner she gets here, the sooner we can get the-" Swaine began to say.

"Gee, I wonder how difficult a hunt for a malfuctioning Automata would be?" Abyssa said, quickly and quite loudly, while giving Swaine a glare.

There was an awkward pause, until Marcassin cleared his throat. "Shouldn't be too hard, though it depends on your experience. Have you've ever fought one, before?" he asked her.

"Several, and with my experience, the thing might try running for the hills,"

"Give me a break," Swaine whispered.

She turned sharply to him. "What was that, Swine?"

*Ding-Ding*

The doors opened, and in came a young girl of about 13, with dark-brown hair tied back with a purple ribbon, wearing a long dark-red dress with short sleeves, and accompanied by a black Puss In Boats. "Oh, good, you're here!" she said to Esther, out of breath. "I'm sorry I'm late, I got a little turned around in the streets, and had to fly in the air to find my way around."

"That's alright, I'm glad you made it." Esther replied, then motioned to Oliver, Swaine, Marcassin, Mr. Drippy, and Abyssa. "These are my friends: Oliver, Swaine, Marcassin, Mr. Drippy... and that's Abyssa."

Abyssa sneered at Esther's pause, but decided to ignore it, as she pulled out the picture of the Azen to show to Ki...

"Oh, Oliver! I was wondering when I'd see you again!" Ki exclaimed, smiling. "Thanks so much again for helping fix my Cloud Sweeper- I wouldn't have been able to finish my deliveries without it!"

"You're welcome, again." Oliver said, grinning modestly.

She then turned to Marcassin. "And greetings to you too, your majesty. I hope those tonics I brought over worked well,"

"They had amazing results, thank you once again." Marcassin replied, smiling.

"Um, hate to interrupt the thanks, but we need something from you." Abyssa spoke up, then nodded over to a corner, to make sure no one but Ki saw the picture. The witch followed her, and she handed her the picture. "Do you have something like this?"

Ki's eyes widened with fright, and her Puss In Boats let out a hiss as if to reflect her reaction, both of them backing into the wall, the familiar keeping its sword pointed at Abyssa. "What's wrong?" Oliver gasped.

"I... I got rid of that thing, years ago!" Ki stammered. "Why on earth would you want to find it?!"

"It... it used to be mine. Why are you so freaked out?" Abyssa asked.

"That necklace... as soon as it was in my possession, I could feel power growing from it. At first, I didn't think it was so bad- like maybe it was an enchanted amulet that could give me a special gift. But... but it only brought me trouble! It gave me a tremendous weight on my shoulders, as if someone cast a Burden spell on me, then... then horrible things seemed to be happening,"

"Let me guess, a stroke of bad luck?" Swaine guessed, figuring the witch had the same problems with the necklace as the Sky Pirates had.

"Yes... I kept hearing this ungodly cackle, following me, and... and whenever I fell asleep, I kept having nightmares of a burning city,"

Abyssa's eyes widened.

Ki began to wince. "I... I couldn't handle it anymore, so... on my way to Yule, I threw it by the Glittering Grotto..." she looked at Abyssa. "I'm sorry, but... It was too much."

Abyssa took a deep breath. "It's... quite alright. I understand- that necklace was powerful, but because of some... reckless handling, it became cursed. Exactly, how long has it been since you chucked it?"

Ki thought. "It was... about 20 years ago."

_TWENTY YEARS?! _The drifter thought, growing pale.

"Jeepers, you don't look that old!" Oliver commented.

Ki gave a weak chuckle. "Well, magical beings such as ourselves tend to age slower than regular humans." she then began to walk out. "Speaking of which, I need to get back to the Tombstone Trail, my sister must be worried healthy about me!"

"Okay, thanks for your help," Esther said, waving to her as the young witch left.

"Blimey, what was that all about?" The man behind the desk asked Marcassin. "Looked like something worth posting on the board!"

"Don't worry, we're handling it," Swaine spoke up, as they all walked out.

"Twenty years... I can't believe it..." Abyssa groaned. "Anyone could have picked it up in that time!"

"We can still go look," Oliver replied. "Not many people know it exists, right? So no one else may be looking for it,"

"We can only hope..."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Marcassin asked the drifter. "If there's anything at all..."

Abyssa paused, taking in a deep breath. "Yes... there is one thing,"

"What is it?"

"Make sure your dumb-assed brother HOLDS STILL!" On 'holds still', Abyssa turned to sock Swaine square in the jaw, but Oliver and Esther managed to catch her in time and hold her back, the drifter flaying her arms out like a wild animal. "Let me go! I promise I won't kill him- I'll just maim him!"

Swaine, in the meantime, stepped behind Marcassin. "Keep away from me, I'm not the one who chucked it into the Grotto!" he snapped at her.

"You're the one who stole it first!"

"If it was so important, why did you let me handle it?!"

"ARGH! I'm going to send you up the Tombstone Trail in a flaming casket, you son of a-!"

"HEY!" Marcassin spoke up, standing between the two. "Yelling at each other won't solve anything- and if you threaten, let alone try to attack, my brother like that again, Abyssa, I'll see to it you'll be thrown in the dungeon, for treason!"

The drifter fumed- she forgot Swaine had 'royal invincibility' that he could use against her... though it seemed sad that his little brother had to be the one to enforce it, in her opinion. She calmed down a bit, jerking her arms out of Oliver and Esther's grips, though still continued to glare at Swaine, who returned the gaze.

"Now then," Marcassin said, his tone more calm. "It's quite obvious you all need to continue this trek, and find that amulet fast."

"Not so loud, please..." Abyssa muttered.

Marcassin ignored her. "I would be glad to accompany you, which I shall do immediately after all the storm damage is taken care of."

The drifter crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Joy."

"In the meantime, take this," Marcassin handed Oliver a piece of paper, which had the 'Foresee' spell written on it. "You may need it as you travel."

"Thanks!" Oliver replied, putting the paper into his Wizard's Companion, where it immediately attached itself with the rest of the pages.

Marcassin gave a nod. "Take care, all of you. If there's any trouble, I'll come to your aid,"

The group nodded, and Oliver took out Mornstar, casting Fast-Travel, and the group was gone in a flash.

The young sage headed back to the palace- he had a feeling he would have to use the Foresee spell, more than he thought he would. _Gascon, please try to stay out of trouble, _he mentally pleaded.

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: So close, yet so far...**

**And I know I altered Ki's appearance- namely because I didn't want to completely rip-off Kiki's look. **

**Now for some Reviewer Thanks!**

**Kai2: **You're welcome! *hands you a full jar of cookies*


	30. A Clue from the Past

**~Chapter 30~**

**A Glimpse of the Past**

"F-F-Flippin' s-s-snow..." Abyssa muttered, pulling on her winter-coat, the others doing the same. The moment they arrived at the Glittering Grotto, nature didn't exactly wait for them to embrace the cold, and unleashed a strong, freezing wind around them, causing them to hurry up and break out their winter-wardrobe.

Once they were dressed, they walked towards the entrance to the cave, snowflakes falling heavily. "Oi, we'd better find that gem fast, like." Mr. Drippy said, looking up at the sky. "Seems like th' Winterlands are 'bout to get hit wit' a blizzard, en't it?"

"G-Great, as if it wasn't cold enough here, already."

"No use griping about it, lets just get looking." Swaine told her. They entered the caves, looking around.

"Where should we start?" Esther asked.

"Maybe we should split up and look," Oliver suggested.

Abyssa cringed. "Why can't we just stick together? This place is probably filled with creatures and other kinds of death-traps!" she replied.

"We already know, we've been here before." Esther scoffed.

Abyssa looked at her. "You have? ...And you don't remember seeing the Azen?!"

"We were looking for something else at the time. Plus, there's a chance it's been buried under snow and ice over the past 20 years,"

"We'll find it, don't worry. But we'll get more searching done if we split up. Esther, you and I could go this way-" Oliver began to say.

"NO." Swaine and Abyssa said quickly- if there was one thing they could agree on, it was they didn't want to get stuck with each other.

"Um... okay... Abyssa, you and I can go this way, and Swaine and Esther can go that way?"

"Crikey, Ollie-Boy! Why don't ya jus' pair Swaine up wit' a Papa Sasquatch?" Mr. Drippy said.

"Huh?"

"Ya keep pairin' Thief-Face up wit' a pair o' girls who can't go two minutes without pickin' a fight wit' him, mun! We're tryin' to help th' bum, not make things harder for him!"

Swaine slouched a bit. _It's bad enough the fairy thought he had to supervise us- now he's acting like I need protection from a couple girls! _he thought, bitterly. "I believe I can manage..." he muttered.

"Um... Swaine, who do you want to go with?" Oliver asked.

"Depends, who's the fairy going with?"

"I'm stickin' with Ollie-boy, mun! Just like always," Mr. Drippy replied.

"Looks like it's either the fairy or blondie, Swine." Abyssa poked, smirking.

Esther sneered, then smiled and turned to Mr. Drippy. "Swaine, why don't you go with Oliver? And Mr. Drippy, if you wouldn't mind, would you come with Abyssa and I? Since she's new here, she may need some guidance,"

Abyssa gawked at Esther, while Swaine covered his mouth with both hands to stifle a laugh. "Say, youe're right there, Esthy-girl! Tidy, lets get a move on, shall we?" Mr. Drippy replied, walking ahead of them. "C'mon, keep up, girls! Careful on th' ice, now!"

The drifter glared intensely at the familiar-tamer, who only smirked. "You do realize you've decreased your chances of survival, right?" she sneered.

"It serves you right for kidnapping me- lets call it even," Esther huffed.

Abyssa grumbled something vulgar, walking with the desert-girl.

Oliver turned to Swaine, who was bent over now, trying hard not to burst into a fit of laughter. "I hope Esther will be alright..." The young wizard stated.

"Don't worry... chances are, Abyssa will be more distracted in trying to throttle that fairy, and our little babaana-girl can get away." Swaine said, chuckling a bit.

"Swaine..."

"Hey, I'm just joking. I do appreciate Esther taking one for the team. ...Now, lets hurry up and get searching, before a cat-fight breaks out between them," They began walking down another path in the cave.

"What do you mean by cat-fight?"

Swaine sighed. "You've got a lot to learn, don't you? It's just a term used to describe a fight between two girls,"

"Oh. ...What do they call a fight between two guys?"

"Ah, I'll inform you of that later. Any chance you can- wha...?"

Oliver looked at Swaine, seeing his surprised expression, then followed his gaze. They were standing by the edge of an icy cliff, looking down at a lower part of the cave, where two figures stood...

Two transparent figures... of Alicia and the late Hamelin Emporer.

_"We must get back, Alicia." _the Emporer was saying. _"A blizzard is sure to strike. We can search after it passes,"_

_"I'm sure it is near." _Alicia replied, kneeling in the snow. _"When we come across the Guardian, we should be close... wait a minute..."_

_"What is it? Did you find the Star Stone?"_

_"No, it's... something else," _Alicia stood up, holding up a red gem in a heart-shaped frame, attached to a golden chain, and she gasped. _"Raoul... look..."_

_"Is that... No, but it's supposed to be in Kaninesas! How did it get here?"_

_"I don't know... but something feels strange about it. Here, look,"_

The Emporer took the gem, holding it. _"It does feel... aged. But how is that so?"_

_"Someone from the future must have sent it back in time. The question is, why?"_

_"I do not know... but we had best put it somewhere safe. If the Dark Djinn were to find it..."_

_"Perhaps we should take it to Kaninesas, then."_

_"I'm afraid that is not an option. The city will not let outsiders in. And if this Azen were to come in contact with its present state, there would be a shift in the universal balance."_

_"What to do with it, then?"_

The Emporer handed Alicia back the Azen. _"Keep it hidden, in a place that even the Dark Djinn doesn't know about..."_

The image faded, leaving Oliver and Swaine stunned. "So... your mom...?" Swaine whispered.

"We have to tell Abyssa," Oliver said quickly.

*0*0*0*0*

There was a roar of defeat, as an Ice-Queen and Sasquash fell to the ground, beaten by Ghibli. Abyssa turned to Esther, who was strumming her harp, taming a Sasquish. "How the flip did you do that?" she asked.

"Oh, it's easy. Once a creature has a dreamy look in its eye, I strum a soothing tune that tames it, and it becomes a new familiar," Esther replied, then turned to the now-tamed Sasquish. "I think I'll name this one... Sassy!"

_Lord help me... _Abyssa thought, rolling her eyes. "Whatever, lets get back to searching,"

"Aye, we've got at least twenty years worth of searching to do in a place like this," Mr. Drippy stated.

"Don't remind me... twenty years..." Abyssa froze just then. "Wait a minute... That lying witch!"

"What? What is it?" Esther asked.

"Twenty years! I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner! The Azen was taken from me ten years ago... How the flip could it be missing for twice that long?!"

Esther paused, realizing the drifter was right. "You're right! ...Gosh, we must have been so focused in tracking it down, we forgot about that..."

"Dammit! C'mon, we're heading back to Tombstone Trail- and making sure Ki gives us the right answers this time! Little wretch probably made the whole thing up and has it hidden somewhere..."

"Or perhaps she's just bad numberin' her years. When ya age slowly, time seems to go by slowly. Why, when I was a littlie, I couldn't tell th' difference between two weeks an' two hundred years!" Mr. Drippy stated.

"There has to be some logical explanation..." Esther pondered.

"There is- that little witch lied!" Abyssa groused, and they headed back up the path. "Soon as I see her, I'm going to dump holy water on her head!"

"Wait up!" Esther and Mr. Drippy followed her, the drifter pacing quite quick. "Careful, it's really-"

"WAUGH!" Abyssa slipped, going over the edge, grabbing on to an icy stalacite to keep from plummeting.

"...slick! Hang on!" Esther took her hand, pulling her back up. "Are you alright?"

"Not until I go witch-hunting!" Abyssa snarled, continuing to storm ahead as if nothing happened.

Esther sighed. "...you're welcome."

They were close to the entrance when they came across Oliver and Swaine. "Guys, you won't believe what we-" Oliver began to say, though paused when he saw the furious look on the drifter's face. "What happened?"

"Just figured out that witch hoodwinked us, that's what!" Abyssa sneered.

"What makes you say that?" Swaine asked.

"Think, numbskull! You stole the Azen from me ten years ago- Ki said she dropped it here TWENTY years ago! Do the math!"

Swaine crossed his arms. "You just figured it out, and you're calling ME a numbskull?"

Abyssa fumed, but luckily Oliver spoke up before she could try to stab the thief (again). "Don't worry, we figured it out!" Oliver replied.

"You did? How?" Esther asked.

"We... We saw an image of my mom and the old Emporer, finding the Azen. They figured out it had been sent into the past, somehow- Ki must have done it, for some reason."

"Aye! Th' lass did seem quite shook up about it," Mr. Drippy agreed. "Must've sent it back in time, so she wouldn't have to worry about its curse, or somethin' of th' like,"

Abyssa blinked. "Okay, that makes sense... In Crazy Town!" she snapped. "Time travel? Seriously?"

"Yes, we've actually time-traveled before... twice, actually. The first time we were sent back ourselves by another wizard, and the second time we had to use the Breach Time spell to travel back," Esther replied. "It's how we found the wand, Mornstar."

_Oh, right, Oliver did mention something like that, didn't he? Must've missed it... _Abyssa thought, but shook her head. "Alright... so, here's my next question: Where the hell is it, now?!"

"The Emporer asked my mom to hide it somewhere, where Shadar couldn't find it," Oliver replied, rubbing his chin. "And that it couldn't be in the same place as its present self... So she must have taken it with her to the future!"

"That makes sense!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed. "Because she travelled to th' future, to youer world- Shadar couldn't find it there!"

"Yeah- you're making no sense," Abyssa commented.

"Flippin' heck, lass! Didn't ya pay attention to a single word of Ollie-boy's tale?"

"I admit some details slipped my mind. ...But, whatever. You're saying the Azen might be in your world, Oliver?"

Oliver nodded. "My mom must have hidden it somewhere, like she did with my Wizard's Companion," he explained. "So, it might be back..." he paused. "...in my old house."

"Well, looks like we'll be taking a trip to Motorville," Swaine said.

"Wonderful! I can't wait!" Esther exclaimed, spinning on the ice. Only Oliver seemed tense.

Abyssa arched an eyebrow. "Motorville?" she questioned.

*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: YES! I KNOW I made a horrible typo with the whole 'time-difference' thing in the last chapter... But, I was too lazy to change anything AND wanted to build it up to where Alicia was the last one to find the Azen, which only makes it sound like an excuse to cover up for my mistake...**

**But look on the bright side: We're going back to Motorville! And things shall get more interesting... ;)**

**Reviewer Thanks Time!**

**Kai2: ***hands you full gallon of milk* There you go!

**Mike AZ 2: **Pretty much, but I'm glad you liked her anyway.

**Please review, nit-pick (since it's clear I need it), but don't flame!**


	31. News From Home

**~Chapter 31~**

**News From Home**

Oliver was tense at first about going back to Motorville. Ever since he reunited with his friends and took on the task of helping out Abyssa, he had forgotten about the problem back in his home town, let alone never informed his friends of his situation and why he came back to their world. He didn't exactly figure out how he would tell them- it didn't sound as easy as it was with Old Father Oak, when the boy had told him of his predicament, as the ancient tree was wise and open to understanding.

How would the others react? Esther would perhaps wish he had told them immediately; Swaine would probably make a remark about Oliver coming back just to find a new place to live, more than seeing his friends; Mr. Drippy would perhaps state that he was just being a 'cry-baby bunting' about the matter, tell him to man up, and to give them a heads up next time he wants to do something rash. ...Whatever the reaction would be, he would know there would be disappointment.

Then there was his nightmare from the other night... Was there a chance someone was looking for him? It occured to him that, outside of Abyssa's recent sabotage attempts, they haven't had any problems until the wizard showed up. First there was a figure who caused him to lose his wand in the rainstorm, followed by the nightmare that same night, then the incident on the cliffs... Did someone believe that, by assisting them in finding the Azen, Oliver would be a threat to whoever was trying to stop them?

"Hey, Wizard-Boy, are you going to wave that wand or what?"

"Huh?" Oliver shook his head, Abyssa's voice snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Are you okay, Oliver?" Esther asked him.

"Yeah, you just spaced out for a minute, there." Swaine added. "Cold beginning to freeze your brain?"

"Sorry, it's just..." Oliver began, trying to figure out how to tell his friends. "I just remembered something... the reason why I left Motorville,"

As he guessed, his friends gave him concerned glances, while Abyssa simply stood there with her arms crossed as if waiting for him to hurry up and explain. "Is something wrong back home?" Esther asked first.

"No bastards are giving you trouble, are they?" Swaine questioned.

"Spit it out, Ollie-boy! Don't leave us in th' dark, mun!" Mr. Drippy urged.

"Can't he just tell us on the way there?" Abyssa asked.

"If something's wrong back in his world, you can be sure as hell we're not going anywhere until we find out what!" Swaine snarled at her. The drifter took a step back, surprised at his tone. He then turned to Oliver. "Now what the hell is going on?"

"I-It's nothing too serious, guys!" Oliver told them quickly, so not to cause any more tension. "It's just... Since I'm an orphan now, I have to find a new home to live in. That's one reason I came here..." his shoulders sagged as he said this, but looked up at them. "But I did miss you guys. I believed, if I was going to live with a new family, why not live with the one I found here?"

"Oh, Oliver... why didn't you tell us sooner?" Esther asked, walking over and putting an arm around him.

"I was going to, but I figured I'd wait until after we helped Abyssa... I didn't want you guys to worry."

"Worry? Oi, I was worryin' bout you after th' first two months ya left, Ollie-boy!" Mr. Drippy piped up. "Began to think ya forgot about youer best friend, like! That's worse than worryin' bout you getting adopted!"

"Next time, give us a heads up, alright?" Swaine told him. "For a minute there, I thought I'd have to use my trick-shots to save your neck!"

"You guys aren't upset?" Oliver asked, though was glad they were taking it well now.

"Not too much... Just remember you can always call on us for help- especially since you've helped us in the past!" Esther replied, smiling.

"Um... hate to break up the tender-moment, guys, but are we still heading to Motor Town?" Abyssa spoke up, reminding everyone of her presence.

"Motorville," Oliver corrected.

"Are you in some sort of hurry?" Swaine sneered at the drifter.

"In case you've forgotten, Swine Prince, someone else is after the Azen- so yes, I'd say we're in a hurry!" Abyssa retorted, glaring at the thief.

"Okay, well, here we go then..." Oliver spoke up, before a dispute could break out between the two, and cast the Gateway spell.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Abyssa's eyes widened as Oliver cast the spell, and a set of glowing stairs appeared in the middle of the large icy cavern, leading up to a large gate, as if the young wizard had made the very gates of Heaven appear. _By the powers... _she thought, amazed. The others began walking up the steps, and she shook away her bewilderment and quickly followed.

There was a bright flash of light, making her shut her eyes. When she opened them, it took her a while to take in her new surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a small town... but rather than tall buildings like Al Mamoon and Ding Dong Dell, or small huts like Castaway Cove, there were houses built of wood or bricks, in square shapes. The shops seemed to be on separate streets, with windows that displayed varietties of clothes or foods or even pets. The trees seemed different too- not as tall as the ones back in the Deep Dark Wood or Golden Grove.

Then there were the people, who dressed differently. Some of the women wore lovely dresses or blouses with skirts, while the men wore either casual suits or ordinary shirts with pants. Some little boys wore either shorts and shirts, overalls, suspenders, while little girls wore nice dresses. And there didn't seem to be any creatures lurking around to fight- unless you'd count those odd mechanical things that passed by in the concrete road, with people inside them.

"What is this place?" Abyssa asked, absolutely stunned.

"This is my world," Oliver told her. "We... kind of live differently here."

"You don't have to tell me twice..." she was looking around, pacing off the sidewalk. A car came towards her and she leaped away just in time. "Hey! Why that bastard...! Do machines like that always try to bull-doze people over?!"

"...only in Hamelin," Swaine joked.

"It's called a car- Oliver said people here use them to travel," Esther explained. "Since there's no magic or dragons here, they have to build things like that to get around faster."

"Are they allowed to run people over?" Abyssa huffed.

"No, but... he can't see you." Oliver replied. "No one here can see any of you, really."

Abyssa looked at him. "Huh? Why not?"

"It's hard to explain... But when someone travels with me from their world to my world, no one here can see them, namely because their soul-mate already lives here."

"Soul-mate?"

"Aye, lass! Get ready for an ear-full!" Mr. Drippy began. "We're in a parallel world, see? An' everyone in ouer world shares a link with a person from this world, called a soul-mate! Animals an' people alike are connected to someone who's similar to 'em between th' two places. Ye gettin' all of this?"

Abyssa rubbed her head. "I guess... I still don't understand why we're invisible to everyone. Can't soul-mates see each other?"

"Not exactly... But th' most sensitive ones can hear their own, like animals."

"Why not?"

"Flippin' heck if I know, mun! I didn't create th' universe! Ollie-boy here is th' only one who ever met his own soul-mate face-to-face! He might know why!" Mr. Drippy turned, seeing Oliver was standing by a newspaper stand. "Ollie-boy? Oi! Could use a little help explaining how things work here, mun!"

But Oliver only seemed to be staring a newspaper at the stand. Everyone walked over, concerned. "Oliver? What is it?" Esther asked, following his gaze... then gasped at the headline, which featured a recent picture of Oliver, followed by the article...

**Local Boy Missing**

_On November 5th, local Motorville resident, Oliver Wilson, 13, mysteriously disappeared over night. The only clue was a note he left behind, claiming he went out to find a new family. Miss Leila, his current care-taker, claims he never brought it up, believing he is distraught about being put into an orphanage._

_If anyone has seen Oliver Wilson or have heard of his whereabouts, please contact the police, or Miss Angeline at Social Services (332-555-1010)..._

There were police sirens, then, and Oliver gasped, running into an alley and ducking low, the others following him, but the squad car only went around the corner. "Flippin' heck, mun! Ye didn't mention ya ran away!" Mr. Drippy snapped.

"You didn't tell anyone where you were going?" Abyssa asked. "For a Pure-Hearted One, that's kind of reckless, don't you think?"

"I... I left a note, saying I found a new family so they didn't have to worry," Oliver sheepishly replied.

"Seems like you could have worded it better," Swaine commented. "Honestly, Oliver, running away from home? You should have known better- especially after meeting me!"

"I-I'm sorry! I... I was just scared about being sent away..."

"Oliver, you have to tell everyone you're alright." Esther coaxed. "Tell them the truth- that you were scared, and just want to stay,"

"It won't be that easy,"

"Nothing ever is," Swaine put in. "But Esther is right. You have to come clean,"

"Too right. Ya know it's a big deal if it gets Esthy-girl an' Thief-Face to agree, en't it?" Mr. Drippy added.

Oliver sighed, nodding. "I know..." he looked at Abyssa, noticing her curious look. "But... we should help out Abyssa, first, and find the Azen. Just in case... In case we don't get a chance to look for it when I tell everyone,"

Abyssa shook her head. "No. Go ahead and tell everyone- no one here can see me, right? Should be easy for me to walk into your house and look for it." she replied.

"But we'll need Oliver to get back," Esther pointed out, then turned to the young wizard. "I think you should tell everyone first, anyway... I'm sure they'll understand."

"I hope... but lets go try to find it, first. I'll show you where I live," Oliver said. "But, guys... If something happens, keep helping Abyssa until the Azen is safe, like we promised."

Abyssa looked at the young wizard, surprised. Here he was, back in his home town, worried about being sent away, yet still wanted to help her out despite the trouble. And the way his friends were so understanding, coaxing him into doing the right thing rather than scolding him for being a fool! She just couldn't understand it...

Esther hugged Oliver. "We promise... and if anything does happen, remember you'll always have family with us," she assured him.

_I think I'm going to be sick, _Abyssa thought, biting her lip. There was so much devotion in the group that it was causing a knot to form in her stomach. "So, uh, where do you live?" she asked him, quick.

"Well... it's more like where I _used to _live..." Oliver sighed, and motioned the group to follow him.

*0*0*0*0*0*

_He ran away... I don't believe it. _Swaine thought as they walked along, looking at Oliver every minute or so. He couldn't really judge him, though- he had ran away from home in a more reckless manner, leaving his family behind just to make something of himself, while Oliver just wanted to find a new home rather than be sent away. Any kid would probably do the same...

But Oliver wasn't like other kids, which was why Swaine was so surprised. Oliver- the Pure-Hearted One who was willing to do the right thing, help others out, and mended the broken-hearted... had ran away from home, causing everyone to worry, just because he was afraid of being put into an orphanage.

Then again, Swaine once again couldn't judge him- he wouldn't like the idea of being sent to live somewhere else, either. And why were they planning on sending him away, anyway? Couldn't Myrtle's family or Miss Leila take him in? _What if... they thought he was going crazy? _the thief thought. Considering Oliver was running around in, what people in this world would believe, a bizarre outfit and talking about 'sharing hearts' at one point or another, and since no one here believed in magic, was it possible that they thought he was mentally ill, and didn't believe they could handle him?

_No, of course not. Oliver knows how to keep things discrete, and they probably believed he was just playing a game. _Swaine figured, yet still couldn't shake off his concern. _But... what are they going to say now? ...What's he going to say? Bloody hell, if only they could see us! ...or, would that only make things worse? Ugh, Oliver, if only you thought this through..._

The sun had gone down, which they were thankful for as it was easy for Oliver to keep to the shadows, so not to be spotted. Sure, he could cast an invisibility spell, but he had used quite a bit of magic while helping Marcassin with repairs, and using Fast Travel so much. Plus, it would be a waste- his friends wanted him to let everyone know he was alright, and couldn't stay hidden forever.

Finally, they arrived at his house, the young boy standing at the corner of the fence, staring at the house for a while. "Who are they?" Esther asked him, seeing a new family through the kitchen window, having dinner it seemed.

"They're a new family... they bought the house," Oliver replied, quietly.

"What, you mean they wouldn't let ya stay in youer own house?" Mr. Drippy questioned.

"Well... no. I'm not old enough to live by myself, or pay the bills... so I had to move out, and the agent told me I could stay with Miss Leila until they found a new family for me,"

"Agent? What agent?" Swaine asked.

"Miss Angeline. She works for a Social Services business- she handles cases about orphans or neglected kids. She kept telling me about these families that wanted to take me in, but... I kept turning down every offer, because I didn't want to leave town or... or replace anyone."

"That's kind of a dumb reason," Abyssa spoke up, and the others gave her a look. "What? It's true, isn't it? Oliver, you said you came to our world to live in a new home with your friends, yet here you are stating that you didn't want to live your home here and replace anyone. Meanwhile, there's several people who claim they wanted to adopt you, but you turned them down."

"Yeah, but... I always travelled from my town to your world. Both always felt like home to me. And I wasn't going to replace anyone from this world with you guys... I just felt that, by staying in your world, I would always feel like I was home, since you all remind me of the friends I have here. ...By leaving this town to go live with another family, it would feel like I was leaving your world behind."

Abyssa cocked an eyebrow. "What, does that magic wand of yours only work here? I figured wizards could cast spells anywhere,"

"Abby's right, Ollie-boy! No matter where ya go in youer world, ya can always use Gateway to come back to ouer world, see?" Mr. Drippy pointed out.

"But... what if a new family I was living with got worried every time I took off?" Oliver pointed out.

"Just check in with them- say you're hanging out with some friends from your old home, and return before it got too late," Esther suggested.

"Yeah, and once you're older, they won't check in on you so much." Swaine added.

Abyssa looked back at the house. "So... how do we get in? I doubt sneaking in with a new family around would be easy, even if we're invisible," she stated, then turned to Oliver. "Any ideas?"

"OLIVER!" came a shout before the young wizard could reply. Everyone looked, seeing a dark-skinned boy with black hair running towards them, with a bull-dog at his side. The others recognized him as Denny, a boy whom they had helped, and Tengri's soul-mate. "Dude, where have you've been?! You're all over the news!"

"D-Denny! Um... I just... went to live somewhere else," Oliver replied, meekly.

"Where? Myrtle said something about you finding a new family- who are they? Where do they live? Oh man, just wait until everyone finds out you're back!" he looked him over. "And what's up with the outfit? Did you go to a costume party, or something?"

"Kid's got a mouth on him, doesn't he?" Abyssa remarked.

The bull-dog began to bark just then, snarling at the drifter. "Easy, Genghis! It's only Oliver," Denny rubbed the bull-dog on the head. He turned back to Oliver.

"Um, well... I went somewhere pretty far away." Oliver explained, then looked at Mr. Drippy. "I decided to stay with an old friend of my mom's, but..." he looked at Abyssa. "He and some more friends were pretty busy with some stuff, so I came back. ...Is everyone alright?"

"They sounded pretty upset," Denny zipped up his jacket, rubbing his arms. "Sheesh, it's getting freezing... Anyway, everyone's been worried sick. Why don't we go tell them you're back?"

Oliver nodded, following him. He looked back at his house one more time.

Denny followed his gaze. "Still miss living there, huh? Don't worry, that new family is taking good care of it- they're really nice, I hang out with Angus from time to time."

"Angus?" Oliver repeated.

"He's the boy who lives there. He's kind of a jerk sometimes, but he's nice once you get to know him. I can introduce you to him later, if you want."

"That's a tidy idea, en't it? Get on good terms wit' th' new boy, an' we've got access to youer house, mun!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed to Oliver.

"Um, okay. ...Right now, I'd better check in with everyone," Oliver said to both Denny and Mr. Drippy.

"Yeah, good idea. I'll walk with you- Genghis and I were planning on going running, but it's too freezing out!" Denny replied, rubbing his arms again. "Man, I'd give anything to move to the tropics so I could stay warm,"

Oliver and the group walked with Denny. From time to time Genghis would growl at Abyssa, until Denny would kneel down and pat his head. "What's that dog's problem?" Abyssa questioned, aloud.

"Maybe he can sense evil," Swaine joked, ending up with a punch in the arm. "Ow! Okay, one of these days, I'm really going to get you back for this! Just wait!"

Genghis growled again. "Come on, boy, we're almost home." Denny coaxed him, then turned to Oliver. "I swear, it's like he sees something I don't!"

Oliver pursed his lips, trying not to chuckle at the irony. "Well... animals do have sharper senses than humans, so maybe." was his reply.

They stopped in front of the milk bar. At the top of the building, where the apartment was, they could see the light was still on. "Miss Leila must be up, still." Denny informed him. "She's been staying up late most nights, waiting for any word about you."

"He's taking the whole running away thing pretty easily," Swaine commented.

The thief had a point- outside of his questions and excitement, Denny didn't so much as run to anyone about seeing Oliver. "Okay. Thanks Denny... but, why didn't you just run to the police or something when you saw me, or tell your parents?" the young wizard asked him.

Denny shrugged. "That would just make you run away, wouldn't it? Besides, I heard a lot about you from Myrtle- I know you'd do the right thing." he replied. "Plus, I think the best thing I could do was walk you to wherever you needed to go." he began to walk home, Genghis at his side. "Good luck, Oliver. I'll see you around!"

"See ya," Oliver waved back, then looked up at the apartment.

"That boy's more like Tengri than I realized," Esther said, smiling at Denny as he walked around the corner.

"That dog of his really has a gruff attitude though," Abyssa scoffed.

"Yes, well, what do you expect of the soul-mate of Kublai?" Swaine replied.

"Soul-mate? ...Hold it, you mean Kublai, king of the Sky Pirates, has a _dog_ for a soul-mate?!"

"Aye, an' Denny-boy is th' soul-mate of ouer own dragon, Tengri! You'd be surprised what kinds of souls are linked, lass." Mr. Drippy told her.

"Does, um, everyone have an animal for a soul-mate?"

"Not really. My soul-mate is human," Esther replied.

"And Oliver said his was Shadar..." Abyssa couldn't help but tense up at the fact that she was standing next to the ex-soulmate of the Dark Djinn. "But... since the link was severed... who is it now?"

"My mom once said new soul-mates can be born... but I think that, once the link was severed, I don't have a soul-mate anymore," Oliver replied. "At least... that was the case with my mom. She severed the link with her soul-mate when... when she travelled here,"

"...oh. Okay,"

Swaine cleared his throat. "So... do you want us to go up with you into the apartment?" he asked.

Oliver nodded. Despite he didn't want his friends to think he couldn't do it on his own, he felt he needed a little support on a matter such as this. They walked around back, where he found a spare key hidden under a flower-pot, unlocked the door, and walked inside.

*0*0*0*0*0*

_"Ah, they have travelled to that other world, have they?" a raspy voice questioned, as the two figures from earlier stood in front of a red fire, which seemed to show the whereabouts of their targets. "So that's where that damn sage hid the Azen,"_

_"Yes... now all we have to do is wait for them to return with it," The second raspy figure added. "Remember the plan... This time, we cannot fail,"_

*0*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Looks like Marcassin wasn't the only one who mastered the 'Foresee' spell 0_0**

**How will Miss Leila and everyone else react to Oliver's return? We shall see in the next chapter. I do want to apologize if anyone was OOC in this chapter- I promise I'll keep things in better check, especially since I've been re-watching a few scenes from the Walkthroughs to double-check certain things.**

**And now for some Thanks to the Reviewers!**

**Kai2: **Do itashi mashite ^-^

**Mike AZ 2: **We're all losing track of something these days I guess, and thanks; Yes, I believe he will ;)

**Please review, don't flame, but you're free to nit-pick. **


	32. Unfamiliar Territory

**~Chapter 32~**

**Something Unfamiliar**

_'Day 10 of Winter_

_Motorville_

_I recall when I went missing, years ago. I had gone out of the city, curious about what was beyond the walls of Kaninesas, exploring the field that stretched on, and the shoreline. I had been gone for two days, caught up in the excitement of seeing the world... until I realized what kind of strangers lurked in the regions._

_When I had returned, no one acknowledged the fact that I was gone. My own parents seemed disappointed that I returned- even more disappointed when I told them what had happened on the beach._

_Such the case was different for the young wizard, Oliver, however._

_I find that, the longer I'm around this group, the more isolated I feel..._

_What's worse is I want to be isolated- it's the kind of path I had chosen for myself: never get involved with others, unless to fulfill a quest... But this quest is taking longer than it should, meaning I've spent more time with that rotten thief and his friends than I'd like to... learning more about them, and their lives. _

_How they all seem to be... happy... no matter the circumstances..._

_And it only makes me more uncomfortable._

_I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stand it.'_

*0*0*0*0*0*

Abyssa could only stare, dumbstruck, after they had entered the apartment. The moment a woman in her late 30's with red-brown curly hair, Miss Leila she guessed, saw the young wizard, she practically let out a shout. "Oliver! Oh, my goodness, where have you been?!" she cried out, running forth and hugging the boy tightly. "I've been so worried! Never run off like that again!"

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Leila..." Oliver said, wincing. "I just... I didn't want to be sent away..."

Miss Leila sighed. "Oh, honey, I know... but you shouldn't have taken off like that! We were all so afraid something might happen to you..." she looked at his clothes, arching an eyebrow. "What on earth happened to your clothes, too? Where did you take off to?"

"I... I contacted an old friend of my mom's. They live far away... but they were busy with helping someone else, so I came home,"

"I don't remember your mother ever talking about any old friends... What was their name?"

"Um... Raoul."

Swaine gave Oliver a look.

"I've never heard anyone with that name before... how well do you know this character?" Miss Leila asked.

"I met him a long time ago. He and my mom once travelled together," Oliver answered.

"Hmm... Oliver, I don't like the fact that you took off with someone who I've never met. Running away, I can understand, but not with someone no one else in town could know!"

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to find a family on my own, not be forced into one..."

Miss Leila sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, sweetie... I know it must be hard, moving on, but next time, just tell the rest of us. ...Even if you do get sent away, we'll still be around for you. You can always write, call, or visit. But don't go running off- and if you hear anything from this 'Raoul' character again, tell me immediately."

Oliver nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

She pulled him into another hug. "I'm just glad you're safe... Go crawl in bed, Oliver. We'll talk more in the morning,"

_That's it? _Abyssa thought, surprised.

Oliver walked to his room, the others following. "Did you have to use my dad's name?!" Swaine hissed.

"I'm sorry, it was the first name that popped into my head!" Oliver replied, quietly. "He and my mom must have been close, and I'm not good at lying. I was going to use Mr. Drippy's name, but she would know I was lying because she knows his name from when he was a doll,"

Swaine shook his head. "Oliver, next time you want to cover up a story, let me help..."

"Why? You're not good at lying, either!" Esther scoffed, earning a glare from the thief.

Oliver shut his door, sitting down on his bed and sighing. "Well... now what are we going to do?" Abyssa asked. "Chances are, that 'Miss Leila' person probably won't let Oliver do anything for a while,"

"That's why he's got us, lass!" Mr. Drippy piped up. "Ya pointed out before that no one else can see us, like- so we can search for th' Azen in Ollie-boy's house! Then once Miss Leila's off his back, we can head back to ouer world."

"Right, we'll just go in there, grab the Azen, and leave." Swaine agreed.

"Wait... we can't!" Esther spoke up. "Don't you remember what happened to Kublai and his crew? They just went and took the Azen, but ended up cursed! What if the same thing happens to us?"

"But I'm the original keeper- it shouldn't affect me!" Abyssa pointed out.

"Dammit," Swaine said under his breath, earning a glare from the drifter.

"I still think we should have Oliver come with us," Esther said, crossing her arms. "He's the one who helped us get this far, his mother is the one who hid the Azen somewhere safe, and he should finish this quest with us!"

"I-It's alright, Esther..." Oliver said. "It might be a while until I'm allowed to go anywhere, anyway." he hung his head low. "Plus... I'll probably be sent away, soon..."

"All the more reason for you to come with us!" Esther sat down next to him, taking his hands. "Oliver, if it wasn't for you, we'd all be in a huge mess. You stuck by us through this quest of ours, so we're going to stick by you."

"Yeah... come to think of it, getting in trouble wouldn't be the same without you," Swaine added, sitting down on the other side of him.

"Crikey, what was I thinkin'?" Mr. Drippy added. "Esthy-girl, you've got a point. Ollie-boy, we ain't goin' anywhere without ya!"

Abyssa had to resist scowling. How badly she wanted to just storm out of the room and just get the Azen herself! But she couldn't- if she were to do something rash, it would no doubt lead to another dispute... Plus, Alicia was a Great Sage- she must have placed a spell over the house, to make sure no one could just break in and steal anything, especially the Azen. Also, she didn't know the area that well- with all the new information she learned, it would take at least a day or two for her to memorize the location. The last time she just wandered off...

_No, definitely not going to risk that again. _she thought, looking down at the floor. She would have to wait until Oliver or one of his friends could show her around Motorville.

And such an idea brought her dread.

"Guys, I really appreciate it... but I told you, if anything happens, I want you to keep helping Abyssa," Oliver spoke up, making Abyssa look up at them once more.

"And we will- but unless they plan on lockin' you up forever or sending ya away, we want you with us!" Mr. Drippy replied.

"You've got no say in the matter, Oliver- you started this quest with us, so you're stuck with us," Swaine replied, grinning.

Oliver smiled, giving a nod.

Abyssa only looked back to the floor, her heart feeling heavy.

After the matter was settled, everyone made themselves comfortable around Oliver's room. Esther took a spot next to him on the bed, Swaine lied down by the window with a pillow, and Mr. Drippy pulled out a drawer in the dresser, using a folded shirt as a pillow. The drifter, meanwhile, sat on the floor, her back leaned against the wall.

That's when she decided to write in her journal... and she bit her lip when she wrote that last sentence, '_I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stand it.' _

Over the past couple days, there was so much she had to see or figure out: Swaine being a prince and having so many friends who trusted him; another face from her past that was suddenly free from prison; some scoundrel trying to hunt them down; learning about soul-mates and coming to a different world; and now, learning Oliver had ran away from home... but had yet to be punished. Scolded a bit, yes, but everyone only showed more concern for him and were even understanding!

When she had taken off... no one really cared.

She began to wince, wanting to cry... but shook the feeling away. _So people give a damn about that kid. Who wouldn't? He didn't grow up the way you did... _She looked back over at the group, seeing they had already drifted to sleep.

She put away her journal, deciding to do the same, before the events of the last two days could inflict anything else upon her.

*0*0*0*0*0*

Oliver lifted his head, looking over at Abyssa, sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, her eyes shut tight. The young wizard realized she hadn't said much since they've come here... and noticed her isolation when the others were comforting him.

One reason why he didn't want the others to fuss over him was because they were doing this quest for _her_... and suddenly, everyone turned their focus to him. Sure, he was happy he was surrounded by friends who cared so much about him...

But, Abyssa was alone, and had been for a long time. The only thing she had was her familiar and the Azen... and all she wanted was to get that gem back.

Then there was Swaine- he just wanted to make amends with all the people he wronged in life, yet the drifter was a tough one to make up with. The longer it took them to find the Azen, the more agitated Abyssa was towards him.

The only thing that was positive about the drifter was the fact that she was willing to come with them everywhere... at least, it would be positive, if she didn't try to distance herself from everyone.

If only she didn't have to be alone.

Oliver got out of bed, grabbing another spare blanket lying on the trunk at the foot of his bed, and walked over, draping it around Abyssa. She shifted a bit, but no sudden, violent impulses. He then crawled back into bed.

No matter what happened to him, he was going to make sure he helped her out...

And one way he planned on doing it was finding a way to open her heart, and mend it.

*0*0*0*0*0*

**A/N: Alright, I think it's high-time I started listing the goals for everyone.**

**Swaine- Just wants to make up for his past.**

**Abyssa- Wants the Azen back.**

**Oliver- Now wants to help Abyssa, before finding a new home.**

**Senkrad's Lackeys- Looking for the Azen and are out to kill our heroes. **

**Cassiopeia- Making a council (There will be more on that later)**

**And there's still some mysteries to be solved: What all happened in Abyssa's past, and who was the man she saw in Hamelin? What did Swaine do that was so terrible? What will become of Oliver? And will Marcassin's interest in Abyssa grow? When is Tengri going to arrive? ...And who the heck is Swaine's soul-mate?! (Seriously, that last one is STILL bugging me!)**

***pant pant* ...wow, that's a lot to go on (though the last part was more of a rant...)**

**And now.. Reviewer Thanks!**

**Titanicspaz and Mike AZ 2: **Thank you both for spotting that mistake, once again. *gives you guys cake* And there will be a lot more reactions to look forward to about Oliver's return!

**Kai2: **Yeah, sometimes faces don't show up on Fanfiction... it's weird like that. :P

**Review, nit-pick if you must (I appreciate it), but no flames or I shall rant again about the Swaine/Soul-mate subject until your ears bleed! *even though I'm probably not the only one...***


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